THE STORY THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO READ 

A sleepy Lower Hutt primary school has exploded into the eye of a political firestorm after leaked emails reveal it bussed hundreds of pupils to last November’s fiery Treaty protest at Parliament – sparking claims of “child indoctrination”, calls for the principal’s sacking and threats of official investigations.

FURY ERUPTS

The 120-page trove, prised out of Naenae Primary under the Official Information Act, shows inboxes flooded with incandescent messages the moment parents learned their five-year-olds would be marching beneath protest banners.

  • “Totally appalling behaviour… remove the headmaster immediately!” thundered Auckland businessman John Reid.

  • “Illegal… using their authority to undermine personal beliefs!” raged real-estate director Jordan Palmer.

  • “Are you actively encouraging bullying and violence?” demanded worried grandmother Toni Field.

One complainant even roped in ACT firebrand David Seymour, cc-ing his Beehive inbox while branding the outing a “breach of Teaching Council neutrality standards”.

“POLITICS IN THE CLASSROOM” – THE RULES AT STAKE

Under Teaching Council guidance, educators must keep party politics out of the classroom. Critics say Naenae crossed the line by:

  1. Emailing every parent urging them to join the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti.

  2. Promising all protesters an automatic “justified absence”.

  3. Chartering buses and trains for the under-10s to bolster the demonstration’s numbers.

Whether those moves break the law is now a matter for the Council – but complainants insist the school “exploited state-funded time to stage a partisan stunt”.

WHĀNAU FIGHT BACK

Principal Murray Bootten – hailed by supporters as “Matua of the people” – isn’t short of allies. Counter-emails came flooding in, lauding his “unapologetically Māori” leadership:

“Kia kaha, Matua! You give our babies the chance to make history,” wrote mother-of-ten Talia Jennings.
“No history lesson could beat walking with your own people,” added aunty Haromi Roberts, dismissing complaints as the work of “keyboard warriors who don’t even know where Naenae is”.

From ex-pupils to neighbouring principals, Bootten’s inbox became a digital haka of solidarity. “We’re behind you 100 % – till the wheels fall off!” vowed one parent, while another branded detractors “small-minded”.

CHILD SAFETY? “WE’LL SING A WAIATA AND HOPE FOR THE BEST”

Worried parents demanded risk assessments: Who’ll guard the five-year-olds in a riot? Where are the toilets? What if Parliament scenes turn ugly (remember the Covid camp-out carnage?) Silence. All Bootten offered was a cheery “Arohanui” emoji.

KIDS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

Lost amid the adult shouting match are the 330 children who witnessed the protest up close. Some parents insist it was “learning in action”; others fear their youngsters were thrust into a potential riot. One email fretted over toilet stops, wet-weather plans and terrified five-year-olds navigating Parliament’s angry crowds.

TUITRUTH SAYS…

Schools are for phonics, not protests.
Public service neutrality is not “optional”.
Hands off the kids—or hand back the tax dollars.

HAVE YOUR SAY

  • Should political crusades be banned during class time—full stop?

  • Do you back David Seymour’s call for prosecutions?

  • Or do you think activism is “learning in action”?

Drop your comments. This is your country, your cash—and, most importantly, your children.