State primary and intermediate schools can book a camp venue with religious conditions, but any religious instruction during the camp has to meet the same legal rules as religious instruction at school. Those rules come from the Education and Training Act 2020, the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the Human Rights Act 1993.
Many of New Zealand’s most affordable and best-located camps are run by churches and Christian trusts. Most simply ask groups to respect the site’s Christian character. Some go further and make Bible teaching, devotions or a camp-led faith session a condition of hire.
This guide explains which schools the rules apply to, what the law requires, and how a school can plan a camp that stays within it. It is general information, not legal advice.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for secular state primary and intermediate schools. Their teaching must be secular, and sections 55–60 of the Education and Training Act 2020 control any religious instruction or observance.
State-integrated schools with a religious special character, and independent schools, are not bound by these sections and can book faith-based camps on their own terms.
What the law says
A school camp is school time, so the classroom rules travel with the class. The key requirements are:
| Requirement | What it means at camp | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Secular teaching | All teaching while the school is open must be secular | Education and Training Act 2020 |
| Board decision | After consulting the principal, the board can close the school (or a class) for religious instruction or observance, in a manner it approves | Education and Training Act 2020, s 56 |
| Time limits | Closures can’t exceed 60 minutes a week or 20 hours a school year, in total | Education and Training Act 2020, s 56 |
| Voluntary instructors | Instruction must be given by voluntary instructors the board has approved | Education and Training Act 2020, s 56 |
| Written opt-in | A student can only take part with signed consent from a parent or caregiver | Education and Training Act 2020, s 58 |
| Normal learning for others | Students who don’t opt in must be able to carry on with their normal learning | Ministry of Education guidelines |
| Freedom from discrimination | Students, families and staff must be free from discrimination on religious or non-religious belief | New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, Human Rights Act 1993 |
The Ministry’s 2020 religious instruction guidelines must be followed by schools with Years 1–8. They also recommend community consultation, non-teaching volunteers with safety checks, full information for families and a clear complaints process.
A venue’s conditions of hire don’t change any of this. If a camp requires Bible input, the school still has to deliver or permit it within the rules above, or book somewhere else.
Is it religious instruction?
The test is whether an activity aims to shape students’ beliefs or invite them to take part in worship. If it does, treat it as religious instruction or observance and apply the rules. Teaching about religion, to understand other people’s worldviews, is part of the curriculum and needs no closure or consent.
| Camp activity | Likely treatment |
|---|---|
| Bible stories, devotions, a faith talk or Christian songs led by camp or school staff | Religious instruction or observance: apply the rules |
| Camp-led “Bible in Schools” style session, games or films with a Bible message | Religious instruction: apply the rules |
| Grace before meals led by camp staff | Observance: make it optional and give students another way to wait |
| A visit to the camp chapel to learn its history or architecture | Teaching about religion: generally fine |
| A session comparing beliefs or festivals as part of social sciences | Teaching about religion: generally fine |
| Karakia and other tikanga Māori practices | Often treated as cultural practice, but some karakia are religious. Follow the school’s existing policy and let families opt out |
When in doubt, assume it counts. Applying the consent process to a borderline session costs little, and a complaint costs a lot more.
Compliance checklist for a camp
Work through these steps in order. Most of them happen before the deposit is paid.
Before booking
- Read the venue’s conditions of hire and find out exactly what religious content it requires, how often and who delivers it.
- Check the total time: a daily requirement multiplied by the camp’s days must fit within 60 minutes a week, alongside any other religious instruction the school runs that week.
- Confirm whether the venue accepts students who don’t take part, and whether it offers a secular alternative space and activity.
- Decide whether the board is willing to approve religious instruction at all. If not, book a different venue.
Board approval
- Principal consults with the board, and the board formally resolves to close the camp group for the sessions, stating the times and manner of instruction.
- Board approves each person who will give the instruction as a voluntary instructor. Teachers and support staff on paid camp duty shouldn’t deliver it.
- Safety-check any instructor who will have unsupervised access to students.
- Record the decision in the board minutes and the camp’s EOTC plan.
Families
- Tell families before they commit to the camp: the venue’s conditions, the session content, times and who runs them.
- Collect signed opt-in consent for each student who will attend the sessions, and keep the forms.
- Make it clear that not opting in won’t affect a student’s place at camp or how they are treated.
At camp
- Run sessions only at the approved times and within the approved limits.
- Run a supervised, worthwhile alternative activity for students without consent, out of sight and hearing of the session.
- Keep religious content out of the rest of the programme, including meal times, evening activities and cabin time.
Afterwards
- Add the sessions to the school’s running total of religious instruction hours for the year (20-hour limit).
- Deal with any concerns through the school’s complaints process, and note any lessons in the EOTC review.
Common camp scenarios
| Scenario | Can the school comply? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Venue asks only that groups respect its Christian character and rules (no alcohol, no smoking) | Yes | No religious instruction is involved. Brief students on the site rules |
| Venue requires 15 minutes of Bible input a day, three-day camp (45 minutes) | Yes, with the full process | Board closure, board-approved volunteer instructors, written opt-in, alternative activity |
| Same requirement, five-day camp (75 minutes) | No, as it stands | Exceeds the 60-minute weekly limit. Ask the venue to reduce or waive it, shorten the camp, or book elsewhere |
| Venue requires the school’s own teachers to deliver it | Difficult | Paid staff aren’t voluntary instructors. Ask whether camp staff or approved volunteers can deliver it instead |
| Venue staff offer an optional evening devotion | Yes, if it stays optional | Treat it as religious instruction: within the limits, with consent, and a real alternative for everyone else |
| Venue requires all campers to attend | No | Compulsory participation conflicts with the opt-in rule and the Bill of Rights. Book elsewhere |
| Venue includes Bible messages in all its activities | Unlikely | Students without consent can’t avoid it. Ask for secular activities or book elsewhere |
Some venues may be willing to adjust their requirements for state schools. Raise it at the first enquiry, not after the deposit is paid.
Questions to ask a camp venue before booking
- Do you require any religious content for school groups? If so, what exactly, how long and how often?
- Who delivers it: your staff, volunteers or the school’s own staff?
- Can students whose families haven’t consented do something else, and is there a separate space and activity for them?
- Is any religious content built into your activities, meals or evening programme?
- Can the requirement be reduced or waived for a state school, and would that change the price or the booking terms?
- Can we see the session content in advance so families can make an informed choice?
- Will you put any agreed arrangements in writing as part of the booking?
Keep the answers with the camp’s EOTC plan. They show the board and families exactly what was agreed.
Communicating with families
Families need the full picture before they agree to the camp, not on the consent form the week before. Put the religious instruction details in the camp information pack, with a separate consent form.
The information should cover:
- the venue’s name and its religious conditions of hire;
- what each session involves, with an example of the content;
- when the sessions run, how long they last and how many there are;
- who delivers them, and that the board has approved them;
- what students who don’t opt in will do instead, and who will supervise them;
- that taking part is voluntary and won’t affect a student’s place at camp;
- who to contact with questions or concerns.
The consent form should be opt-in only. It needs the student’s name, a clear “I consent to my child taking part” statement, and a parent or caregiver signature and date. A form returned blank, or not returned, means no consent.
Some families may not want their child to attend a faith-based venue at all, even when the sessions are optional. Be ready to talk that through, and consider whether the venue is the right choice for the whole class.
Frequently asked questions
Can a state primary school book a Christian camp?
Yes. Staying at a faith-based venue isn’t religious instruction in itself. The rules only come into play if religious content is delivered to students.
Does a camp count as school time?
Yes. A school camp is part of the school’s programme, so the requirement for secular teaching and the religious instruction rules apply during it.
Can our teachers run the venue’s required Bible session?
It’s risky. Religious instruction must be given by voluntary instructors approved by the board, and teachers on paid camp duty are hard to see as voluntary. Approved volunteers or venue staff are a safer option.
Is an opt-out letter enough?
No. Since the 2020 Act, students can only take part with signed opt-in consent from a parent or caregiver.
How much religious instruction is allowed at camp?
No more than 60 minutes in a week and 20 hours in a school year, counting everything the school offers.
What if the venue makes the sessions compulsory?
A state primary school can’t make religious participation compulsory, so it would need the venue to change the condition or book elsewhere.
Do these rules apply to secondary schools?
No. Sections 55–60 cover state primary and intermediate schools. Composite schools with Years 1–8 students should check with the Ministry.
Sources
- Education and Training Act 2020 (full Act, NZ Legislation)
- Education and Training Act 2020, section 56: religious instruction and observances (NZLII)
- Education and Training Act 2020, section 58: written consent (NZLII)
- New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (NZ Legislation)
- Human Rights Act 1993 (NZ Legislation)
- Ministry of Education: Religious instruction guidelines for primary and intermediate schools
- Ministry of Education: Requiring an opt-in process for religious instruction
- Ministry of Education: Religion in schools
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Boards should check their own situation with the Ministry of Education, NZSTA or a lawyer.
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