Wairau Intermediate School rejects 'sexist' disco claims

The announcement on the school's Facebook page. Photo / Facebook

An intermediate school on Auckland's North Shore has asked students to pay different prices for attending tonight's disco depending on their gender.

Boys attending the school disco this evening at Wairau Intermediate School will pay $5 - whereas girls will pay $2 and be required to bring a plate of finger food.

An announcement about the event on the school's Facebook page received comments from users calling it "wildly inappropriate". But the school says it's not sexist and last year the boys were asked to bring the food.

An email to the Herald blasted the school's decision as "sexist".

"They decided it's appropriate, when it's nearly 2019, to charge girls and boys different prices and require the girls to bring in food for their social. It's straight up sexist and they are essentially teaching children girls and boys are different in unnecessary and damaging stereotypical ways," the reader said.

"I think it's appalling that a public school for children would pull this nonsense."

The school website says the school disco, on tonight between 7 and 9pm, for years 7 and 8, has a 1980s theme, and encourages children to come dressed in clothes from that decade.

A Facebook post promoting the event was deleted minutes after the Herald contacted the school.

Wairau Intermediate School Principal Grant Murray told Newstalk ZB that the school policy is to alternate between boys and girls bringing a plate each year.

"We alternate it [the pricing] each year," he said.

"So some years we ask the boys to bring two dollars and a plate.

"We started doing it because if we asked everyone to bring a plate then we'd end up with too much food."

The permission slip for the disco in 2017, sent to the Herald, showed boys were asked to bring a plate that year.

"Admission will be: Girls $5.00 and Boys $2.50 plus a plate of finger food which does not require heating," it said.