Schools and educational institutes are communities filled with teachers, support staff, management, board members, parents, whānau and learners – each playing an important role. With so many different types of people in interdependent relationships, it’s natural for disagreements to arise.
Education
Find a way forward with the experts in resolving education conflict
About us
Managing conflict can be challenging and, if not managed well, it can become extremely stressful and costly.
That’s why the Ministry of Education and many schools have partnered with Fair Way to prevent and resolve conflict as early as possible.
We provide private training and resolution services for educational institutions around Aotearoa New Zealand. Our philosophy is to embrace conflict as an opportunity for growth and change. Having the right skills and support to harness the opportunity, take appropriate action and react accordingly, strengthens relationships and enhances culture.
We also operate dispute resolution schemes for learners. Since 2016, we have supported international students and their education providers to resolve financial and contractual complaints with iStudent Complaints. From 1 January 2024, we will assist both domestic tertiary learners and international students, through our new service Study Complaints | Ngā Amuamu Tauira.
Our approach
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Working alongside your community, and aligning with your values, your culture and your people, our experts help you design a bespoke process that’s independent, fair, and optimises the chance for an enduring resolution.
By taking an approach that embraces the whole community, Fair Way works with schools and educational organisations to help calm things down and navigate conflict.
That kaupapa is in our name – ‘kia tau’ means ‘to settle, to resolve, to calm’. This reflects our commitment to the principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi, which underpins everything we do. Whether you’re facing a dispute between a teacher and a parent, an issue involving the board, or an employment situation, we complement your existing approach and help bring harmony to discord.
Simply put, we are here to help people in conflict move forward.
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Fair Way’s practitioners are fully accredited through the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of NZ (AMINZ), the NZ Law Society or the Resolution Institute. We have many years’ experience in education-based disputes.
Our services
At Fair Way, our expertise is in providing appropriate conflict management and processes to help organisations, including:
- conflict coaching and training for leadership
- support to help resolve disputes quickly and cost-effectively
- using the principles of restorative justice to inform conversations with staff or school community members
- future-oriented mediations that respectfully address workplace issues
- investigations that lead with dignity and provide clarity for complex issues.
To find out more about how Fair Way can help calm your conflict or dispute, including supporting difficult conversations and managing cost-effective mediations, please get in touch.
Related service
Resolving a dispute is not always easy, especially if you’re an international student, trying to make yourself heard in a language that’s not your own. iStudent Complaints helps international students resolve complaints with their education providers. It’s a free and independent complaints service operated by Fair Way. If you are an international student and have an issue you can’t resolve with your education provider, talk to iStudent Complaints. We can help resolve financial or contractual complaints, such as refund requests.
From 1 January 2024, we can assist both domestic tertiary learners and international students, through our new service Study Complaints | Ngā Amuamu Tauira