KEY POINTS:
Two Christian schools risk closure if they continue refusing to say whether staff are illegally hitting children.
Wainuiomata Christian College and Auckland's Tyndale Park Christian School have been warned to disclose whether they are breaching Education Act regulations which outlaw corporal punishment in schools unless by parents or guardian, The Dominion Post reported today.
In a letter to both schools, the Education Ministry has demanded confirmation "that no corporal punishment has been administered".
The Ministry has also requested copies of the schools' discipline policies. It warned the schools could lose their registrations if they continued their code of silence.
Ministry officials could formally enter school grounds to copy and remove relevant documents if they are not forthcoming, the letter said.
Wainuiomata principal Martin Keast says parents had a right to educate children according to religious beliefs.
Mr Keast said he knew what the law said, but that what took place at school was a private matter between families and the school.
Parents of children at independent Christian schools wanted them educated in line with biblical teachings, he said. Use of "the rod" taught children self-discipline and was essential to their upbringing.
The school was rethinking its disciplinary policy and had requested time to complete a review.
Green Party MP Sue Bradford said children at Christian schools deserved the same protection as others.
She is campaigning for repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act, which allows parents to use "reasonable force" in disciplining children.
Ms Bradford's proposed repeal is causing continued controversy, with Christchurch radio personality and father of four Simon Barnett the latest to speak out against the anti-smacking bill he describes as a "home invasion".
Barnett, co-host of More FM breakfast show, told The Press the bill would criminalise caring parents.
Barnett said the bill meant parents could not smack or restrain their child for corrective purposes, or even forcibly send them to time-out.
Barnett and wife Jodi have four girls aged six to 13. The younger two still occasionally need physical discipline as an immediate consequence for repeated bad behaviour, he said.
He acknowledged New Zealand's "massive" problem with child abuse.
"I'm the first to be alarmed. But most sane, normal parents know there's a huge difference between abuse and assault and a smack for corrective purposes."
Barnett, who attends Grace Vineyard Church, said his convictions did not come from a Christian "spare the rod and spoil the child" stance.
"I've been a parent for far longer than I've been a Christian. To me it's nothing to do with that.
- NZPA
