A document in the pamphlet, addressed to households in the East Auckland school zone, began by saying the group responsible for delivering the pamphlet are parents with children at the school.
The group has been approached for comment by the Herald via an email address listed on the document.
The pamphlet goes on to outline a policy it said was approved by the school in Term 3 which required people to use the preferred pronouns for staff and students.
“When a parent wrote to ask, ‘Will children be disciplined for not using these pronouns?’, the principal responded, ‘Behaviours that exclude or aim to hurt or depreciate someone would be addressed’,” the document said.
The group said it was “unclear about specific situations where this would apply”.
It also alleges that although using preferred pronouns for children may seem like a harmless courtesy, “it is in fact a powerful psychotherapeutic technique that solidifies a child’s identity of themselves as the opposite sex”.
“Under this policy, if even one student or staff member transitions, all children are sent the message that it is possible to change sex. Many young people overseas have tried changing sex using puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries, and have reported their regret at doing so,” the letter claimed.
As well as the document regarding the school, the pamphlet contained other material about affirmative care.
Replying on behalf of the Ministry of Education, deputy secretary (north) Isabel Evans said the boards of all schools, including state-integrated schools, are required under Section 127 of the Education and Training Act to be inclusive of, and cater for, students with differing needs.
“To make sure that the school is a physically and emotionally safe environment for all students.”
Evans said under the law, schools have a legal obligation to consult with their communities at least every two years about how relationship and sexuality education (RSE) is taught and what aspects of it are taught so that their local health curriculum meets the needs of their learners and whānau.
“In 2022, the ministry released a suite of resources for educators to support a broad range of topics within RSE. These include topics that young people have told us they wish to further engage with teachers and adults on.”
Evans said parents and caregivers have the right to withdraw their child from RSE through a written request to the school.
“If any parents have concerns about decisions made by their child’s school, we would encourage them to raise these with the principal in the first instance.”
The mother who received the pamphlet said it was a generic policy about calling people what they wanted to be called and there was no event that triggered the response.
“It feels, really, like they’ve chosen this school, found some parents, maybe within a wider group, and they’ve gone, ‘Yep, let’s target our school’.”
Her mother, who also lives in the area, received the same pamphlet in her mailbox.
In primary school, she said children can be mean to each other for a range of reasons, especially if there is something that may seem different about the child.
“The feelings that make people feel bad [relate to] getting leaflets like this and getting told that they don’t have a right to exist or have healthcare, or that they’re ostracised from [the] community and society and schools.”
