The out of control Wakatipu High School

Rodney Hide has a tale that should be in a Monty Python comedy, but sadly is the reality in too many schools. He wanted to address the school board over his concerns that the relationship and sexual education curriculum the school was using, was inappropriate for 13 year olds.

• Rodney spent nine months trying to get ten minutes of board time to discuss this
• He sought advice from the NZSTA that board meetings are held in public and can be recorded
• The morning of the meeting, the principal informed him he can’t record it. Rodney told him his advice was he could
• Then the board chair told him he could not record it as the board has discretion to perform its functions as it sees fit. Rodney pointed out this doesn’t mean overriding the law that they are a public entity
• Then the principal told him recording the meeting was against the tikanga of the school. Rodney said that doesn’t override the law.
• Finally the principal said it would be inappropriate for Rodney to talk about the sex education curriculum in detail to the board because one of the board members is 16 years old and it would be inappropriate to expose her to this

So you have a school board that says what you teach 13 year olds, can’t be talked about in front of 16 year olds!

You can read at the link what Rodney wanted to say. He makes many valid points about how the curriculum minimises statutory rape etc. Shame on the school board with being more concerned about circling the wagons rather than listening to legitimate concerns.