Mana College ditches gendered prefect titles, experts say more NZ schools doing the same
Wednesday, 24 November 2021
A Porirua high school has ditched gendered leadership titles in an effort to become more inclusive to all students.
And experts say more schools across the country are adopting the same measures, in response to “a generational shift” in the way young people self-identify.
Mana College students recently voted for their 2022 prefects to be called ‘‘head students’’, instead of head boy and girl.
Melerita Malaulau, Jack Chapman and Rosa Stratford were chosen as the three head students at the school for 2022. The school is still deciding on five to eight more lead roles for other students.
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Rosa said students supported dropping gendered titles, while Melerita said they should feel free to express themselves whatever their gender.
“There’s no point in saying head boy and head girl … the role is not based on gender, it’s based on the person’s ability to lead others,” Melerita said.
Jack agreed: “Being a head student is a role that quite a lot of kids look up to and if there’s a kid that doesn’t identify as a male or a female, then looking up to a head boy or head girl, they won’t be able to see themselves there.”
The outgoing school leaders are also supportive.
This year’s head boy, Jack McMahon, and head of whānau, Tuhoe Davies, said schools shouldn’t be stuck in the past.
“I think it’s a good thing, we need to adapt to change and include everyone,” he said.
Gender issues iwas a big conversation for the year group, outgoing Sports Captain Karena Waru said.
That included “whether we would have prom king or prom queen, because again that’s not including those who might be non-binary”.
Gender labels had also been removed from a block of toilets at the school, Waru said.
“We are trying to make our school as diverse as we can, in ways that we can include everybody – like it doesn’t matter what gender you are, or what you believe in, as long as you feel included.”
Dr John Fenaughty, Auckland University senior lecturer at the faculty of education and social work, said the school’s decision was “exciting”.
“This creates a culture of inclusion in schools that recognises not all students identify as boy or girl.
“If you are a non-binary student, why would you see yourself as head boy or head girl, when that doesn’t reflect who you are?”
Historically, schools had been organised heavily around a binary gender framework: from toilets, to uniforms, to sports competitions.
But a “generational shift” was occurring where more young people were self-identifying outside of those traditional binary identities.
Fenaughty, who is the principal investigator behind Identify, a survey of 5000 14-26 year-olds in New Zealand’s rainbow community, said more schools around the country were adopting gender-inclusive titles and policies.
About one-quarter of the surveyed rainbow high-school students, attended schools without gender titles.
Waikato University psychology lecturer Dr Jaimie Veale agreed.
There were major inequities in the mental health of transgender people, including young people.
“What we do know from research is that students who feel more connected to their school are much more likely to report better health and wellbeing and to report better academic success.
“These are important policies, helping students to feel more connected and represented within the school.”