Bethlehem Campus in Tauranga. Photo / Mead Norton
Opinion:
Bethlehem College has been the focus of a number of allegations recently. For the sake of truth and fairness, we would like to publicly explain where we're coming from as well as address false allegations and misinformation.
Bethlehem College was founded to provide a biblically-based, Christ-centred education and this is why many parents choose to send their children to our school. We therefore have a duty to our school community as well as a legal responsibility to maintain our special character as a Christian school. That includes having Christian beliefs.
We acknowledge that some may feel personally hurt by our beliefs. Please hear us when we say we believe God loves everyone, and wants only the best for them. We don't hold our beliefs to hurt anyone, but because we think they are God's good plans for our lives.
The first allegation was that our (mainstream Christian) belief about marriage is discriminatory. However, we don't require anyone to adopt our beliefs or live their lives accordingly. We're simply transparent about what we believe because it's the right thing to do by parents interested in enrolling their children at our school. Our message to those seeking to force us to change or suppress our beliefs is: we respect your rights, please respect ours.
We added our belief about marriage to our Statement of Belief in 2019, after our integration agreement was signed in 1999.
However, it's normal for expressions of belief to be amended and clarified over time. Our (mainstream Christian) belief about marriage was added in order to be transparent after other views of marriage emerged. We had also amended another point in our Statement of Belief since 1999, but no one has raised any concerns about this.
Other allegations were made following an anti-bullying demonstration at our school.
Our internal investigation found no evidence of chants. In fact, we liaised with the organisers of the event beforehand to ensure it was respectful and peaceful, as we agree there is no place for bullying of any kind in our school. There was some unacceptable behaviour from a very small minority of students and they are facing the consequences. However, the vast majority of students acted in a respectful way.
Further allegations were made that our school is not a safe place for LGBTQI+ students, and an old version of a working document around gender was leaked to media. Campaigner Shaneel Lal alleged to have "hundreds" of negative messages from current and former students at Bethlehem College, alleging "sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and other forms of discrimination".
If these allegations are true we would want to address them with the weight they deserve; they are certainly not our understanding of our school culture. Since these allegations were made, we have repeatedly asked for students and their families with concerns to raise them directly with us so we can investigate. Up until recently we were not aware of any complaints regarding these allegations; at the time of writing, four people have been in touch about their experiences at the school and we will be seeking to understand their concerns and take the appropriate action. Our lines remain open.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, we fundamentally disagree with the allegation that our Christian beliefs are harmful or unsafe. Our Christian beliefs include loving and caring for everyone, and our recent Education Review Office report notes our special Christian character "contributes to a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging for students". As part of this, for example, we commit significant resource to the provision of additional support, pastoral care and counselling services for our students.
The Ministry of Education has asked us to remove point 13 from our Statement of Belief that marriage is between one man and one woman, with the reasoning that it was not in our Statement of Belief when we became a state-integrated school in 1999.
However, we doubt the inclusion of this belief in 1999 would have posed a problem given this view of marriage was more widely accepted at the time. We also understand that human rights to transparently hold beliefs are among the most fundamental freedoms.
We are therefore continuing to engage with the Ministry of Education on this matter, and in the meantime we're reverting to our original Statement of Belief to show good faith.
We think it important, however, to be completely transparent with everyone about the fact that our Christian beliefs, including about marriage, will not change. And we will continue to be open and transparent about them with parents because that's the right thing to do.
It's worth noting these beliefs have been held by Christians around the world for thousands of years, and continue to be just as, if not more, relevant and valuable today. We believe our identity is not solely determined by ourselves, or the loudest voices in our culture, or the date, but by God's good design for our lives.
We thank our school community and the many New Zealanders who have sent us messages of support during this time.
Paul Shakes is Bethlehem College Board of Trustees' chair.