The Education Ministry is investigating allegations of discriminatory practices towards LGBTQIA+ students at Tauranga's Bethlehem College, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said.
Ardern said she took "a very simple view" on the allegations of discrimination when asked during her post-Cabinet media conference on Tuesday.
"Schools in New Zealand are obliged to ensure that they have a safe and inclusive environment for all children," she said. "Obviously, some quite serious concerns have been raised around whether or not that is the case for the school in question."
She said the Ministry of Education had been asked to look at whether the school had met their obligations to the government.
"The Ministry of Education has been asked by ministers to go and look in greater detail at whether or not that obligation is being met."
Ardern said providing a safe and inclusive space was "the least that we can expect in New Zealand".
The PM was also asked whether the Education Ministry's review of the school could extend to reviewing other state-integrated schools around the country.
"I imagine that as part of their consideration of some of the concerns that have been raised, that they may well look more broadly," she said.
"But at the moment, as I understand, they've been asked to look at some specific examples and they are doing that."
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In the past two weeks, Bethlehem College has been under fire from advocates for its stance on LGBTQIA+ issues. The Bay of Plenty Times reported on a leaked document that stated students at the college were expected to use their biological pronouns.
Another document suggested that the school believed marriage could only be between a man and a woman.
In response to allegations that its practices were discriminatory, the school told the Bay of Plenty Times that it legally had to uphold special character as a Christian school. It contended that past reviews of the school had found its Christian practices led to a "strong sense of wellbeing and belonging for students".
The college said it had launched an investigation after other allegations emerged of abuse towards the LGBTQIA+ student community within the school.
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