A young female student is “completely against” going to an all-girls college next year - but school zoning rules mean this may be her only option.

The zoned school for 13-year-old Tauranga Intermediate School student Sciennaj Belcher is Tauranga Girls’ College.

But her father, Dion Belcher, says Sciennaj has always attended co-educational schools and she wanted to continue her education at one.

Belcher said they have submitted an out-of-zone application to co-ed school Ōtūmoetai College. However, the ideal outcome was for Sciennaj to be “given the option” for the zoning rules to be removed.

 “I can’t afford to shift from my house to Ōtūmoetai to give her that opportunity. If I could, for her, I would. But I just can’t.”

Education Minister Jan Tinetti said zoning rules were in place to avoid overcrowding within a school and to ensure there was space for local students. A school’s decision to be single-sex or co-ed sits with its board of trustees.

Tauranga father Dion Belcher and his daughter, Sciennaj. Photo / Alex Cairns

Belcher told the Bay of Plenty Times Sciennaj was in the “high achiever” programme at school, played sports and was a member of a rock band.

“Everything that she’s in is [with] boys and girls.”

Belcher said his daughter also “gets on better” with boys than girls.

“She’s completely against going to Tauranga Girls’ [College].”

Belcher said they had applied for Ōtūmoetai College because it was the only public, co-ed option in Tauranga to which they had “ease of access”.

There was a bus “from my driveway straight to Ōtūmoetai College and back,” he said.

However, Belcher said he was told they did not meet any of the “first five criteria” for acceptance in an out-of-zone school.

Belcher said Sciennaj’s application fell in “category six”, which he described as a ballot. If her name was picked, she could attend Ōtūmoetai College. They would find out on September 6.

“Hopefully ... she’s lucky and she is one of the ones picked out. But if she doesn’t, we just don’t know where, if there’s anywhere, to go from there.”

Belcher said he understood and appreciated why zoning was in place.

However, he added: “I see that there’s got to be some kind of discrimination in there … It doesn’t seem right.”

Dion Belcher's daughter, Sciennaj, has submitted an out-of-zone application to Ōtūmoetai College. Photo / Alex Cairns

Belcher emailed Education Minister Jan Tinetti on August 16, saying it was “sexist to assign difference between male and female in any situation”.

“I fail to see that my daughter being told, ‘You must go to a single-sex school’ is either fair or relevant to the world and times we live in.

“I can say from the people I have spoken to it would appear somewhat ... sexist in nature; if nothing else, definitely discrimination.”

In the minister’s response to Belcher, sighted by the Bay of Plenty Times, Tinetti said the Government and the Ministry of Education were committed to providing all ākonga [students] with access to a “high-quality” education.

“I appreciate that, as a parent, you want to ensure your daughter’s learning and well-being needs are met so she can reach her full potential at secondary school next year.”

Tinetti said she had asked the Tauranga Te Mahau Ministry office to reach out to him to provide further information about out-of-zone enrolments and the next steps available.

Education Minister Jan Tinetti. Photo / Andrew Warner

In a statement to the Bay of Plenty Times, Tinetti said zoning rules were put in place to avoid overcrowding within a school and to make the “best use” of the schooling network.

“When a school nears its capacity, enrolment schemes may be put in place to make sure space is available for local students.”

Tinetti said schools worked alongside their local community to make sure they were offering an education that “reflects the community and its learners”.

“Schools are self-governing and the decision to be single-sex or co-ed sits with their board of trustees.”

If students wanted to attend a school outside of their enrolment zone, they could enrol at a school without an enrolment scheme, apply for an out-of-zone place at another school, or access an enrolment through the state-integrated or independent school networks, Tinetti said.

Sciennaj is hoping to attend co-ed Ōtūmoetai College next year. Photo / Alex Cairns

Ōtūmoetai College principal Russell Gordon said out-of-zone application processes were in place because in-zone students had “the legitimate right to attend their local school”.

He said Tauranga Girls’ College was “a really good school”.

“The key thing is to ensure class sizes are practical for good teaching and learning to occur,” Gordon said on zoning rules.

He said there were five “priority” categories for applications - the first priority being students who were accepted for enrolment in a “special programme” run by the school, such as the special needs department.

The second and third priorities were for students who had current or former siblings at the school. The fourth priority was students who were the children of a former student and the fifth priority was students who were the children of an employee or board member.

The school then had a “ballot system” for other applicants, he said.

“If we stopped to pick and choose, then it’s open to exploitation.”

Gordon said all students who put their names forward for the ballot last year were offered a place at the school.

As a parent, Gordon said he understood Belcher wanting his children to be happy at school.

“But we just have to follow a process and that keeps everybody safe.”

Tauranga Girls’ College principal Tara Kanji was approached for comment.

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.