Education and Training Act 2020, s 127(b); Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities
The Education and Training Act says that schools must give effect to relevant student rights in the Human Rights Act and the New Zealand Bill of Rights.
The schools board must take all reasonable steps to eliminate racism, stigma, bullying, and any other forms of discrimination within the school.
To achieve this, a school might:
ask students about their experiences of racism, discrimination and bullying and use that information to reduce these behaviours
have processes in place to address concerns
create a safe and inclusive environment where culture is valued.
What is reasonable will depend on the situation.
For example, if the school is organising an overnight school camp and you need separate room, it would be reasonable for the school to arrange that. It might not be reasonable for the school to find a walking trail that can be accessed with a wheelchair. See the previous section “Access to education and discrimination” for more examples of illegal discrimination in schools