A Northland Christian School says it’s closing its doors after more than 30 years because of legislation that stops them from offering conversion therapy to students.
Kaitaia Abundant Life School says the new law means they can no longer operate under Christian values.
“Students that maybe experiencing unwanted feelings towards the same sex, and this is not a usual thing when we look at the development of people,” school spokesperson Ivy Tan said.
“It's not unusual to be now able to say you are not able to offer support to these students. It's horrendous.”
By “support”, she means conversion therapy, an attempt to make someone who is gay straight.
The practice was outlawed in New Zealand last year, with the UN calling for a global ban on conversion therapy - saying it can amount to “torture”.
“LGBT persons endure severe pain and long-lasting psychological and physical damage because of so-called ‘conversion therapies’,” UN expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, told the Human Rights Commissioner in 2020.
“Practices of conversion therapy are rooted in the belief that persons of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity are somehow inferior, either morally, spiritually or physically because of their orientation or identity, and that they must modify that orientation or identity to remedy that inferiority," he said.
“We've had this in the past, so don't get me wrong, but to say now with conversion therapy not being able to offer any prayer, any counselling into how to navigate these times,” Tan said on the ban.
However, Minister of Education Jan Tinetti was unapologetic to the school, saying it’s their job to look after the wellbeing of all students, regardless of sexuality.
“There is an expectation and has been from the word go with all governments that all schools will do their best to support all their students from all backgrounds,” she said.
“Now that means all of our rainbow kids as well, and I'm thinking that could be part of the issue that they're leaning towards. I make no apology.”
While the school has announced its plans to close down at the end of Term 2, the ministry is yet to sign off on that.
“The schools are doing it for their reasons if they're unable to accommodate looking after all the young people that are in front of them, then they're making the best decision for them,” the minister said.
There are around 200 primary and secondary students on the abundant life school roll.
Parents and former staff I spoke to wouldn't speak to 1News but are disappointed the school is closing and will now have to send their kids to secular schools in the region, many of which are at capacity.
The ministry has advisors to help schools work through issues like this, but the school sees no middle ground.
“I make no apologies,” Tinette said.
“I have an expectation that all schools support all of their students and do know lots of special character schools, lots of Christian schools that do that really well.”
Abundant Life will continue to operate as a church and help families that are looking at home-schooling.
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