Religious education as an optional programme still has a place in state education, a Rotorua principal says.
"If you don't want to be part of it you don't have to be, and that's the stance that the school has," said Western Heights Primary principal Brent Griffin.
The comments follow the controversial decision by Auckland's St Heliers School to remove religious classes from its timetable and offer them outside school hours, after several parents complained to the school and Human Rights Commission. The complainants had argued the Christian-based lessons discriminated against non-Christian families and should not be part of a secular school programme.
A UMR poll released earlier this month showed only 27 per cent of 1000 people surveyed felt New Zealand schools should include classes on Christianity taught from a Christian perspective.
Mr Griffin said only one or two parents chose to withdraw their children from the programme offered at his school to Years 4 to 6 pupils. An external Christian performing arts group took fortnightly sessions.
"It's a lot of fun for the children ... it's an interactive programme. The programme is not suggesting you must go to church."
Although two parents had complained in the past, the school sent out a general survey to parents each year and had never received feedback on the issue. "If it came through that they wanted to see religious instruction removed from our school, we'd certainly discuss that as a board of trustees."
A parent from Western Heights Primary, who didn't want to be named, said the school struck a good balance on religious studies.
"We have always had a strong Christian upbringing with our whanau and I think it's important to give children the opportunity to decide if they want to have God in their life or not.
"Just because a parent doesn't believe [in God] it doesn't automatically mean their children don't believe in a higher power," the father of three said.
"Equally, if one of my children decided they didn't believe in God, although I'd be hurt, it's their choice. It's just the same if they decide to follow another faith."
He said it was a fine line between a parent's right to parent and a child's right to choose.
Secular Education Network spokesman David Hines said since the news of St Heliers broke, several other parents had asked how to make a complaint about their child's school, with some planning imminent action.
Some religious instruction groups used by schools were "denigrating other sections of society" and "casting a slur" on other religions as part of their lessons, he said.
"They are aggressively evangelical, several of these programmes.
"They are out to convert atheists into writing prayers to God."
Mr Hines said it should not be up to a school's board of trustees to decide whether its school offered religious education.
New Zealand Principals' Federation president Philip Harding disagreed, but said boards needed to consult and listen to their community before making a decision.
"They've got to act wisely but they also shouldn't be browbeaten by a very vocal minority. There are communities where religious education has been part of [their] school for life."
Mr Harding said as he had predicted, some St Heliers parents were now complaining about the school's decision to remove religious education from class time. "There are a group of parents that are anxious to challenge the decision to kick it out of school hours. Once you scratch this itch within a school community, it's very polarising and very difficult to manage the competing views."