God makes waves at capital school
The doors were open, the kids were there but class was technically closed when God created a furore at Khandallah School.
The northern Wellington school – which, like all state schools, has secularism enshrined in law – is facing a parental backlash for allowing Arise Church to instruct children in 2016 and 2017.
It comes as the school considers allowing a religious organisation back in 2018, though it is unclear if this would be Arise.
The evangelical Arise has talked publicly of teaching children ‘‘that Jesus died for them, that the Bible is the word of God’’.
Arise and the Churches Education Commission, said to be the organiser of the sessions, have been approached for comment. Mark Honeychurch, of Secular Education Network, had been outside the school ‘‘instructing parents about religious instruction in their schools’’. Some he talked to had no idea what was going on. ‘‘The problem is schools should be secular ... If something is framed as fact, it has to be evidence-based. For a child, they can’t tell the difference between religious instruction and a normal class.’’ Khandallah School was handling the vexed issue relatively well – by making sure there was no talk of Jesus and focusing on values and
ethics – but it was hard to establish what was actually being taught, he said.
If a religious group did return, the board would have to invoke a little-known clause in legislation, as he understood it did in 2017.
While New Zealand state primary schools must be secular there is a clause in the Education Act which means they could technically close either the classroom or school for just the duration of the session and allow the instruction.
School board chairman Shaun Twaddle – who would not identify the church – said the organisation was told that it could only teach values and morals. It could not evangelise, try to convert, nor hand out lollies, he said.
A teacher sat in at the 2017 sessions and confirmed this instruction was followed.
No decision was yet made on allowing a religious group back but if it did, any session would be outside class time. Like 2017, parents would have to opt-in to the session.
A YouTube clip posted by Arise Church last week but from 2016, said it started its ‘‘Champions’’ sessions at Khandallah School, where more than 100 children attended.
In another, lead pastor John Cameron said: ‘‘We don’t want the next generation of New Zealanders coming up without knowing that Jesus died for them, that the Bible is the word of God ...’’
Khandallah principal Louise Green said the clubs policy, which included guidelines for religious groups, was being looked at by the school’s board. ‘‘We decided to set up some clear guidelines after a number of clubs had approached us wanting to run certain clubs and activities at the school.’’
The board took its responsibility to consult with the school community seriously, she said.
A parent at the school, who did not want to be named, confirmed Arise came in 2016, when neither the board nor parents were notified. It was only when the church returned in 2017 and followed proper procedures that the 2016 session was mentioned.
She understood the school got around the secular rule in 2017 by having the sessions at lunchtime and closing the room for the time.