The Post Primary Teachers' Association is commissioning an expert to create guidance on dealing with extremist perspectives expressed by students in classrooms after educators reported heightened instances of hate speech and discriminatory attitudes.
PPTA president Chris Abercrombie, a history and social studies teacher, said educators are observing increased instances of neo-Nazi imagery and terminology, along with Holocaust denial, anti-Semitism and misogyny appearing in schools. Teachers have also reported heightened levels of homophobia, anti-Semitism and racism among students.
"I've had students... deny the Holocaust in class when we're talking about it. I've had students write essays about that kind of stuff, talk about not everyone deserves human rights, those kind of things there, and it's increasingly becoming more and more common," Abercrombie said. "I wouldn't say it's in every school and every student, of course, but it's more common and we're hearing about it more and more."
Abercrombie said students were absorbing extremist perspectives via online algorithms that channel young people toward specific content. The union's women's committee has also referenced young boys taking upskirt photographs of students and teachers in a submission regarding the Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill.
International research suggests the issue extends beyond New Zealand. A survey found half of German teachers had witnessed students performing neo-Nazi symbols in class, while 9% reported being physically assaulted by students holding far-right views. Across Europe, 14% of teachers said they avoid discussing democracy because of pushback from far-right students and parents.
The Ministry of Education said it is considering the union's report and recognises teacher concerns about harmful online content. The Ministry said the refreshed curriculum includes tools to help students recognise misinformation and extremist content and make informed decisions, and that it supports schools through partnerships with Netsafe, Network for Learning and Bullying-Free NZ.