Pubdate: Tue, 07 Mar 2000
Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2000 New Zealand Herald
Contact:  PO Box 32, Auckland, New Zealand
Fax: (09) 373-6421
Website: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Forum: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/forums/
Author: Josie Clarke

GERMAN STUDENT FUMES OVER QUICK EJECTION BID

A 17-year-old German exchange student has accused his host school in
Auckland of illegally trying to deport him after he admitted smoking
cannabis.

Claudius Von Derschau was four months into a six-month exchange at
Michael Park, a Rudolf Steiner school at Ellerslie, when an argument
developed between him and his host mother over some missing money and
a cannabis pipe she had found in the house.

The host mother called the police and Claudius admitted using the pipe
once to smoke cannabis but denied stealing any money.

Police let him off with a warning provided he did not get into any
more trouble during his exchange.

But Claudius' host mother no longer wanted him staying with the family
and contacted the school to tell staff there about the problems,
Claudius said.

Two days later, the school called him out of class and said he would
be flying home in four hours - against his parents' wishes.

The school did not expel him.

A teacher drove him to the airport, but a parent who knew of the
school's plans intercepted Claudius at the airport and took him back
to a second family who had offered to take care of him.

Yesterday, Claudius said his parents and many in the school community
were outraged that the school had tried to deport him after police had
settled for warning him over a minor offence.

He is flying home today, a month early, because he has missed three
weeks of classes and German regulations require that he does not miss
any more.

He is angry at being driven to the airport at four hours' notice, and
that he had been branded a thief and a druggie.

"I don't steal and I don't feel I'm a druggie. My exchange was great.
I love New Zealand. I don't want to leave."

Bernard Michaux, one of a group of teachers who collectively run the
school, said it decided that returning Claudius to his family in
Germany immediately was the only safe option.

The school had the legal right to send students home.

Michael Park had run a successful exchange programme with students
from Steiner schools in Europe, North America and Australia for more
than 10 years and had never sent a student home before, Mr Michaux
said.

He declined to comment further.

But Auckland University associate law professor Paul Rishworth said it
was not for schools to enforce deportation under immigration laws.

Immigration spokesman Ian Smith said the service could revoke the
student's visa if his school had expelled him or effectively told him
he could not return.

"The school might have approached the service to see what, if any,
action would be taken on Immigration's part."
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MAP posted-by: Derek Rea