The Diocesan School for Girls, located in Auckland, recently extinguished plans that involved organizing a gathering to demonstrate “solidarity for Palestine’s liberation.” This announcement came as a response to a lunchtime event invitation distributed by a teacher via an email that the school’s principal labelled as “unsanctioned”.
A former student voiced her dissatisfaction with the decision, expressing her perception that this amounted to a limitation on advocacy. Nonetheless, the prestigious institution made it clear that they do not support perspectives that might instigate political division or discord.
The world has recently been hit by a wave of demonstrations responding to the latest clash between Hamas-directed Palestinian militant factions and the Israeli military forces. This conflict, impelled by an unanticipated Hamas assault on the southern region of Israel with fatalities exceeding 1400, resulted in Israeli counteractions comprising air raids and an infiltration of the Gaza Strip. The estimated death count stands at 9,000.
In the midst of this global tension, a teacher from the school invited all willing staff and students, via an ostensibly schoolwide email, to assemble during the initial half-hour of the lunchbreak on the first three weekdays. The invitation claimed this gathering to be a joint endeavour for advocating for Palestine’s freedom.
The proposed actions during the assembly included lighting a candle, articulating hopes for Palestine, and spending 20 minutes in joint effort, such as emailing local MPs about their apprehensions and designing posters. The email, originating from a Diocesan email account, expressed the intention to opt for personal over school email accounts for these activities.
However, the invitation was rebutted just 40 minutes after its transmission by an email authored by the principal herself, Heather McRae. The school neither endorsed the email nor its contents, and it has since been retracted and removed.
“Diocesan does not condone any views that create or support political division or disharmony. Our priority is to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for all our girls, from diverse faiths and backgrounds,” stated McRae. The proposed gatherings were not endorsed by the school and will, therefore, not be held.
Reactions to the initial email and the school’s subsequent response have ignited online discussions while also attracting the attention of both present and former students.
One former student noted that the school had previously been active in advocating for political issues, such as the refugee crisis and the Boko Haram schoolgirls’ abduction in Nigeria. “Dio has always been an advocate for human rights. I don’t see why they can’t stand in solidarity with Palestine,” she noted.
Another alumna observed an inconsistency in the school’s stance. She recounted that the school had previously shown strong support for Ukraine during its conflict with Russia. Online debates continue to divide opinions, with some empathizing with potential Jewish students at the school while others applaud the teacher for her initiative. A group extended their concerns over “activist teachers” who might exploit their roles to impact student viewpoints.
