School to teach NZ curriculum after damning report

Gloriavale’s school will now use outsiders to teach the official New Zealand curriculum to its 139 school-aged children.

Private schools do not have to teach the NZ curriculum and the Education Review Office (ERO) previously noted the school’s curriculum reflected the community’s Christian philosophy. Gloriavale women are precluded from exploring careers in anything other than domestic duties, teaching and midwifery.

However, the Ministry of Education is overseeing a plan for the school to raise its standards after ERO found it did not meet the registration criteria for a private school.

ERO’s report found students were not progressing and achieving well, and their health and safety was not being monitored sufficiently. It also found the school managers and board had not been assessed as being fit and proper persons and teachers were not using a suitable curriculum or valid assessments.

Documents released under the Official Information Act (OIA) revealed the ministry issued a formal notice to the school in November, ordering it to comply with the rules.

The school submitted an improvement plan in December but, according to the OIA, the ministry's regional director, Andrea Williams, said it did not give her any confidence, was not a viable plan and did not have concrete time frames or details. She wrote back to the board chairperson and acting principal to say it was critical the school developed a cohesive curriculum and used valid assessment and reporting methods.

The ministry confirmed the school submitted another plan in January, which was detailed and viable. It had been created with the help of an external education consultant.

A ministry spokesperson said the school was providing fortnightly progress updates and meeting with officials monthly.

She also confirmed the ministry had determined the school’s current managers were fit and proper persons.

Gloriavale School’s new compliance plan had five pages of intended actions, including that the school employ an experienced education adviser, a teacher, a curriculum leader and a principal from “outside” the community. A recruitment company would be used to find the principal.

It noted five Gloriavale members were currently enrolled in bachelor of education programmes.

The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust has asked for the school to be deregistered.

“We also believe that allowing Gloriavale the opportunity to bring outside teachers into the mix might solve an immediate issue ... but ultimately it won't help these children. Before long, those teachers will be let go, and the current members with their harmful thinking patterns and attitudes will take their place,” its letter to the ministry said.

The trust wanted Gloriavale students to go to other local schools, to open up their world and reduce their vulnerability.

“In future years when the community can prove that it is healthy and has better attitudes towards women and education, then perhaps it might be able to reapply for their own school. Until then, the children at Gloriavale deserve better now,” it wrote.

Recent court cases about physical and sexual abuse of Gloriavale children and young people’s employment status, and the suitability of some school staff, prompted the special review.