Feilding School Using Children As Political Pawns

act-new-zealand

Thu May 30 2024 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Feilding School Using Children As Political Pawns

Thursday, 30 May 2024, 3:45 pm
Press Release: ACT New Zealand

Feilding’s North Street School has encouraged students to wear colours showing solidarity with today’s anti-Government protests.

“Here we have school administrators using their publicly-funded position to push other people’s kids into anti-Government activism,” responds ACT Education spokesperson Laura Trask.

“If my children were enrolled at this school I’d be furious. We send our kids to school to learn, not to be used as political pawns.

“What if a child chooses not to wear the protest colours? It’s divisive and risks ostracisation and bullying of those kids who aren’t interested in activism.

“With serious challenges in attendance, literacy, and numeracy, the last thing we need is to inject politics into primary schools.

“The claim that this event is non-political is laughable. We've got plenty of dates in the calendar to celebrate the coming together of different cultures, from Waitangi Day to Matariki to Chinese New Year. North Street School administrators are pulling this stunt today to support the anti-Government protests surrounding today's Budget.”

The letter to parents of North Street School students (copied below) was sent out on the school app, posted on Facebook, and given in hard copy to students.

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