NZ First Party Policy on Religious Instruction in NZ Primary Schools

NZ First’s education spokesperson is Tracey Martin. Given that NZ First has a reputation for appealing to older voters (who also tend to be more religious), I wasn’t expecting a particularly pro-active policy from them on religious instruction.

In the last election, Tracey made a sort of “non-statement” about religious instruction and I was interested to see if she’d do the same thing this time. She did… so I tried to prise more out of her. I was pleasantly surprised at how responsive she was at first but after she was elected and became the Minister for Children and Associate Education Minister, she stopped responding.

Hopefully, our discussion cleared up a few misconceptions and might change the way she views religious instruction in future.

I asked all the main political parties what their policies were on religious instruction in NZ State Primary Schools. You can find link to the other party policies here. Read on to find out what the NZ First thinks about this issue. Here’s the questions I asked them…

I would like to know what your party’s policy is regarding religious instruction in state primary schools.

Currently, religious instruction (teaching religious faith) is allowed to be taught in primary schools for up to 20 hours per year under sections 77-80 of the Education Act 1964. During this time, the school is “closed” and children who opt out are required to stop curriculum learning.

Non-Christian families are forced to declare their lack of affiliation with Christian religion and opt-out or go along with their children being taught religious beliefs that they don’t agree with so that their children “fit in”.

This is religious discrimination and needs to be stopped. What will your party do about it?

Date: 24th July 2017
From: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)
To: Dave Smyth

Hello Dave,

At this time New Zealand First has no specific policy on this issue.

Tracey Martin

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If only all questions on party policy could be avoided so easily!

Date: 24th July 2017
From: Dave Smyth
To: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)

Hi Tracey,

Thanks for your reply.

At the time of the 2014 Election, you said;

The Act requires BOTs to consult with their community every 3 years around the provision of RI – the school is technically closed during this period – we are prepared to have nationwide discussion but not prepared to dictate to communities.

As far as I’m aware, there is no requirement for boards to consult the community regarding religious instruction. My own Daughter’s school board has just decided not to have a community survey this year after I questioned them on misleading religious instruction questions in previous surveys.

I don’t see how allowing boards to impose their preferred version of religious instruction in a tax-payer funded, secular primary school is fair or acceptable? A vote to impose religious faith teaching on a school by a few board members is still blatant religious discrimination against all families that chose for their children to attend a secular school, isn’t it?

It is the ability to close a school to preach religious faith in primary schools that is the problem. Why should my Daughter have to leave her own classroom so someone can come and try to convert her friends?

regards,
Dave

Date: 25th July 2017
From: Dave Smyth
To: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)

Further to my previous email…

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Date: 25th July 2017
From: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)
To: Dave Smyth

It was addressed (discussed) but only one member of the Select Committee supported the view. It takes a majority of the Select Committee to make any amendments to legislation.

Tracey Martin

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Date: 27th July 2017
From: Dave Smyth
To: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)

Thanks Tracey,

Do you think that religious groups should allowed access to promote their religious faith to young children in secular state primary schools?

regards,
Dave

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Date: 28th July 2017
From: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)
To: Dave Smyth

Dave

Do you mean all religious groups or just one?

Tracey

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Date: 28th July 2017
From: Dave Smyth
To: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)

All of them. Primary schools shouldn’t be a place to promote religious faith. It’s indoctrination and discriminates against families of different faiths.

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Date: 29th July 2017
From: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)
To: Dave Smyth

Dave,

Thank you. You have outlined your perspective clearly. In the 15 plus years I have been on the Board of Trustees of two of my local schools I have probably had around 5 letters from parents on this specific topic. As mentioned previously our schools asked our communities. Every three years. Each time the majority of the respondents requested that Bible in Schools remain.

I believe in democracy. At all levels. Democracy provides the freedom without abuse for citizens to express a contrary view to the majority and in this instance it allows the freedom of parents who do not wish their children to participate to remove their children from the school ( which is technically closed ).

As I stated in my first email response New Zealand First does not have a policy on this matter. It is for each community to decide.

In your second email you included a quote from me from 2014. At that time I incorrectly believed that the requirement to consult the community was entrenched in the Education Act 1989. I was wrong, having now worked closely on the Act through several pieces of legislation I can see I was mistaken. However it was this belief that ensured that at the schools I governed we consulted our community.

Since your email I have sort advice as to where I might have gained this impression, NAGs, NEGs, regulation? I am not sure. I am still waiting on a response to my questions from NZSTA and the Ministry of Education.

If I receive the response that there is no requirement for consultation then I am prepared to research the capacity to insert such a requirement and present this to my caucus. However this will not take place prior to the 2017 Election.

All the best.

Tracey Martin

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Date: 30th July 2017
From: Dave Smyth
To: Tracey Martin (NZ First Education Spokesperson for Education)

Hi Tracey,

Thanks for the time you took to answer.

I see that you were previously on the board of trustees at Warkworth Primary School. I’ve attached the results of a school survey at that school that show over half the parents do not want the school to provide religious instruction classes either inside or outside school hours. This appears to be a fairly recent survey. There was a report in Mahurangi Matters about a previous survey in 2013, where the vote was deadlocked. I checked the school website and it looks like they are still running religious instruction classes despite this democratic vote.

What this says to me, is that although you were on that school’s board some years earlier, clearly, there were more than a few parents that were not happy with the classes at that time. I’ve found over and over again that parents are too intimidated by the backlash that they get from pro-RI people within the school staff and community to put their name to a complaint. So evangelists bulldoze over other people’s rights to promote their faith.

I agree that democracy affords us the right to express a contrary view. And if someone wants to shout about Jesus in the street, they are welcome to do this. But our primary schools are not open to anyone. There is no right of access. Do the results of a democratic vote justify discriminating against a minority? I would say that imposing religious faith teaching on primary school kids and forcing the opt-out kids to stop learning the curriculum, is clearly discrimination and a violation of their right to education within our secular school system.

Not “forcing” kids to do religious instruction is hardly a magnanimous gesture, after the choice has been forced into the school and on to parents who have already made this choice outside the school!

I should also point out that my rejection of religious instruction in state primary schools is not merely my “perspective”.

• In 2001 the Ministry of Education legal team stated that there was no defence against a claim of direct discrimination under the Human Rights Act. (see sections 15-18 of attached document)
• In 2005/6, the Education & Science Select Committee gave extensive recommendations for change to the MOE, mentioning the coercive nature of the current system. (see attached)
• In 2015, Victoria University Professor of Religious Studies, Paul Morris stated that the parts of the most common RI syllabus were “…inappropriate and likely objectionable to secular, non-Christian, and non-evangelical, conservative Christian parents and students”. (see attached)

The Ministry of Education ignored all the above advice (and more) and continues to refuse to engage in meaningful discussion on this issue. As does the Human Rights Commission, who are flagrantly ignoring their responsibilities to stand up for the rights of children on this issue.

Since you mentioned the NZSTA, I’ll also tell you that despite repeated requests, they have refused comment to my question of why they haven’t recommended the removal of religious instruction classes in the recent Education Act review.

I understand that there’s no chance to do much before the election. Good luck with your electioneering and please do get in touch if you need any more information on this issue in future.

regards,
Dave Smyth

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After Tracey was appointed as Minister for Children, I emailed her to congratulate her…

Congratulations on your appointment as Minister for Children! Please do consider the issue of religious instruction as part of this role. State primary schools should be there for all children regardless of what their parents believe in and not for adults who wish to spread their religious views to them.

She replied three days later…

Hello Dave,

I consider that this issue falls under the purview of the Minister of Education.

Tracey Martin.

That seemed rather dismissive given her role protecting children. So I put it back to her…

Wouldn’t protecting children’s freedom of belief and rights to a secular education be within your purview regardless of where that freedom is being imposed upon?

No response yet (only 2 days later) but it doesn’t look like Tracey Martin is a friend of secular education. There must have been a caveat to the quote below…

“I have just been sworn in as the Minister for Children. Not Vulnerable but all children.”
Tracey Martin (Stuff.co.nz – 30th October 2017)

Tracey Martin is not only the Minister for Children but also the Associate Minister for Education and the NZ First Spokesperson for Education. How is this issue not something she should involve herself in?

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