Calls for commissioner to step in after Far North Christian school announces closure

Kaitaia Abundant Life School is closing its doors from the end of term 2 because “statutory constraints prevent it from operating within its special character and constitution”. Photo / Myjanne Jensen

A Far North Christian school is closing its doors next year because it is “unwilling to implement the national health and sexuality curriculum” because it conflicts with what they say are their “Christian values”.

There are now calls for Education Minister Chris Hipkins to bring in a commissioner to manage the operation of Kaitaia Abundant Life School which confirmed it is “exiting from the state system” from term 2.

The Northern Advocate understands an emergency meeting was called on Friday, December 16 to advise staff of the closure and tell them they will soon be made redundant.

In a statement, the school said “statutory constraints prevent it from operating within its special character and constitution”.

“As a Christian school, we have been struggling to offer our special character education with all the new government constraints while adhering to our constitution,” school trust chairperson Ivy Tan said.

“That’s why we have negotiated with the Ministry of Education to cancel our integration agreement.”

A parent, who didn’t want to be named, said the principal and church proprietors have “utterly failed and further harmed our children’s education and relationships”.

The parent said though the school already had a sex education programme, it didn’t want to implement new changes which centred around “gender identity” for example the provision of unisex toilets.

“They have an issue with delivering the health curriculum. They are unwilling to implement the national health and sexuality curriculum because it conflicts with what they say are their Christian values.

“They had no meetings about the planning of [the school’s] closure or to discuss alternative options.

“The Minister of Education should immediately announce a commissioner come in and manage the entire operation of the school and board of trustees, even if it leads to closure.

“My two girls came home devastated on Friday afternoon, we now have to figure out where they’re going to school.

“That’s the harmful thing for the children, their weaponised politics have been at the detriment of our children and that’s not okay.”

A signboard on Kaitaia Abundant Life school principal Mark Tan's property late last year. Photo / file

The parent said the school had contributed to the wider Christian community in Kaitaia for 40 years “yet this family that currently leads that church and the school seems to think they have the right to dictate what Christian education should look like”.

“They are trying to strong-arm the Government like they did over vaccine mandates.

“They should hand back the school to the wider Christian community of the Far North to find a new way forward.”

The school made headlines in March after principal Mark Tan and a former teacher Billy-James (BJ) Natanahira were spotted taking part in the protest that erupted at Parliament.

The pair have been openly opposed to the vaccine mandate, with Natanahira, a former art and te reo teacher, one of several teachers who resigned from Abundant Life School after the introduction of the mandate in November.

Mark Tan could not be reached for comment.

The state-integrated school for Year 1 to 13 students is affiliated with the Kaitaia Abundant Life Church and has a current roll of 176 students, according to the Education Review Office.

Established in 1988, the school entered into an “integration agreement” with the Ministry of Education in 1996 on the understanding that it would operate under its special character.

Kaitaia Abundant Life School principal Mark Tan. Photo / supplied

“That character is determined by the beliefs, values and lifestyle of the proprietors but all the new demands placed on us make it impossible for us to operate under that special character,” Ivy Tan said.

The school has had talks with the Ministry of Education about the issue, and has “mutually agreed” the end date for the school will be the end of term 2, 2023, she said.

“We’re extremely disappointed it’s come to this but we have no choice.

“For the past 26 years we’ve run the school within the terms of the integration agreement, but with more and more demands placed on us that go against our very own kaupapa, our Christian beliefs and constitution, the very fabric of who and what we are, it’s become impossible to continue.”

Learning about relationships and sexuality is part of the New Zealand Curriculum.

The Ministry of Education says effective relationships and sexuality education take a positive view of sexual development as a natural part of growing up and are vital to the overall wellbeing of children and young people.

At primary school level, children learn about friendships, consent and different kinds of families.

Later, they learn about puberty, body development and image, human reproduction and different types of relationships. They also learn about cultural approaches to gender and sexuality, and the influence society has on the way gender and sexuality are viewed.

The school’s website says it teaches the New Zealand national curriculum with “each subject taught from a Biblical perspective”.

“Christian values are holistically woven right throughout the fabric of our teaching and our programmes.”

The Ministry of Education has been approached for comment.