Students advised of changes to address ‘toxic’ culture at top broadcasting school – صحيفة الصوت

The country’s top broadcasting school has announced a raft of changes to the way its courses are run, after students told an external review about a culture of harassment, bullying and heavy drinking.

The five-month review by Christchurch QC Richard Raymond found a toxic learning environment at the New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch, where sexual harassment, bullying and harmful behaviour was widespread among students – with tutors failing to keep it in check. However, the independent report found the school’s teachers did not harass, bully or discriminate against students.

Three months on from the review’s release, Ara Institute of Canterbury, which runs the Broadcasting School, emailed students on Monday with a list of “actions under way” in response to student feedback.

The changes to the curriculum include a reduced workload and assessments, and the scrapping of a controversial assessment practice where students’ opinions of their peers’ work was included in their final marks.

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Students told the review the practice of having students mark each other – known as the “professional practice” assessment – had led to a “lord of the flies” culture. Student marks would be removed from the professional practice assessment altogether, Ara told learners.

Also in the review, several students complained about punishing workloads leading to stress and failure. Ara will “reduce some of the content delivered and assessment workload”, the email says.

Another controversial assessment based on dollars raised in a “sales” module will be overhauled, and marks will no longer depend on revenue raised.

The changes also claim to address concerns about a lack of pastoral care for students.

Weekly lunchtime sessions with a wellbeing co-ordinator would continue, and posters had been put up around the schools buildings to direct students to support services.

The Broadcasting School review was launched after a scathing review into the culture at Mediaworks released in August 2021 had caused “anxiety” among students preparing to join the media workforce, Ara said at the time.

Raymond’s review, released in May 2022, found heavy drinking, “hazing” and a “boy’s club culture” had led to harm.

Although outside the scope of the review, the culture at Ōtautahi House – Broadcasting School’s main accommodation block – was also heavily criticised, by students and by the report’s authors.

In one case, a student said a lack of pastoral care meant bullying and harassment were allowed to grow at the broadcasting school, and described their experience as “traumatic”.

Ara’s email, signed by three senior staff, was the first of a “fortnightly update”, which would keep students advised of changes being rolled out, the email said.