By Joel Kulasingham, Journalist NZ Herald. One of New Zealand’s largest schools has been accused of discrimination after a Māori student was required to cover his tā moko – and earlier told to scrub a drawn-on version of the design from his arm.
The mother of a Year 12 student at Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland says her son was told to “go to the bathroom and scrub it off” when he first had his tā moko design drawn on his arm, despite the school being informed beforehand.
“It was really upsetting for him,” she said.
Mount Albert Grammar’s headmaster told the Herald he had no knowledge of the incident and tā moko is “currently under consideration” by the school’s “Māori Parent Committee”.
Her son (Ngāpuhi), who the Herald has agreed not to name, got the traditional Māori tattoo – symbolising iwi, whakapapa and personal identity – when he turned 16 last year.
The mum said Mount Albert Grammar has a strict tattoo policy, with no exceptions for tā moko.
“The rule is that you have to cover it up with a sleeve and you get detention if it’s showing at all,” she said.
“They haven’t wanted to budge with that.”
She said her request to meet with the school’s principal to discuss the issue was declined.
Mount Albert Grammar headmaster Patrick Drumm told the Herald he had “no knowledge of the incident”.
“Our current uniform policy has been in place for many years and is regularly reviewed and sometimes amended through a consultation process with the board of trustees,” he said.
Drumm said tā moko was “currently under consideration” by the school’s rūnanga (Māori Parent Committee), which “provides strategic advice to the school around te ao Māori”.
“My understanding is that tā moko is currently under consideration by our rūnanga with a recommendation coming to the board in the near future.”
The mum said it was “encouraging” that the school is considering changing its policy around tā moko.
However, former and current Māori students still deserve “acknowledgment or even apology for the discrimination they have experienced”.
No Jackets and Scarves Inside Rule
Last week multiple parents of Mount Albert Grammar School students raised concerns about teachers enforcing a “no jackets and scarves inside” rule, despite the chilly winter weather.
Auckland recorded one of its coldest days of the year this week, with frost and sub-zero temperatures hitting parts of the city.
Mount Albert Grammar headmaster Patrick Drumm said: “Students are well aware of these expectations.
One parent, whose son attends Mount Albert Grammar, said it’s “tough on cold days, especially for the kids who are wearing jackets and scarves without jumpers underneath”.
“Those kids come in from the cold and have to immediately go down to just a shirt when they haven’t had a chance to warm up.
“[My son] said classrooms have heating but can still be a bit cold.”
Another parent said their son was told by a teacher, “it’s not raining inside so take your jacket off”, with the consequence for not complying being detention.
“It’s bloody freezing at the moment, I think we can all agree. My son has complained about how cold he is in the classroom several times in the last month. The heating in the class isn’t sufficient..
“Meanwhile, the teachers are all layered up with jackets in the class..
“Personally, I feel children should be able to wear the correct school jackets and scarves inside if needed, we aren’t all the same.”
Drumm said he was “unaware of any complaints to the school from parents about classrooms not being heated” and “every classroom in the school is heated by a number of different methods”.
Parents also say students aren’t allowed to wear extra tops underneath to keep warm.
Drumm said, “Staff do not check whether students are wearing thermals.
“Students follow the long-standing uniform expectations focusing on wearing our MAGS school uniform correctly and with pride at all times.”
Mount Albert Grammar has a roll of about 3500 students and is the second-largest school in the country, behind Rangitoto College in Auckland’s North Shore.
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