Stephanie Arthur-Worsop: Govt must end sexist education

Sexist education needs to come to an end in Gloriavale.

Since when did New Zealand become a country that condones sexist, gender-stereotyped education?

It was decided last week the segregated education at the secretive Gloriavale school would not be investigated.

While there are a lot of aspects about this secluded community I'd be happy to share my opinions on, for the purpose of this column I'm just going to focus on their schooling.

According to the article written last week by New Zealand Herald education reporter Kirsty Johnston, the Education Review Office was called before Parliament's education and science select committee to explain why the extreme fundamentalist school was allowed to teach separate subjects for girls and boys, and stop education early.

Green MP Catherine Delahunty was hoping for an investigation into the isolated community's school, saying it was breaching the rights of children to a broad education, however that was decided against.

I will not apologise for my strong views on this matter. Society needs to continue to work to break down any remaining gender stereotypes in education and in life, otherwise we are taking a huge step back. swThe idea that a school like this would continue to function in our country seems so foreign to me because I have always seen New Zealand as a forward-thinking, boundary-pushing country.

Heck, we were the first country to give women voting power - how can we then turn around 122 years later and say we're fine with a New Zealand school that steers women towards homemaking and motherhood and men to manual labour?

While there are some women who decide they want to be housewives and some men who want to be manual labourers, it's archaic to take all other options away from them and force them down that path.

The common argument is that the people in this community can leave if they want, they are not being held captive - but while physically they can leave (we assume), their lack of transferable education and ability to move into tertiary education puts in place a barrier that for many, is either too scary or too unrealistic to cross.

These are children, not consenting adults, and it's of serious concern authorities do not feel it is necessary to intervene and give them a real choice.