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Devreux
Monique / NZPA : "Student quits school over necklace ruling" in NZ Herald (Auckland
27 February
2004)
The article describes a situation at Marlborough Girls' College
where the dress code allows for the wearing of necklaces visibly displaying Maori taonga
while the Christian cross or Jewish Star of David
if worn
must be on long chains so as to be invisible.
Politicians Don Brash and Trevor Mallard used the ruling as an oppotunity for political grandstanding
but the significant fact is that the board of a local New Zealand public school found itself able to
adopt such a code by a majority of nine votes to one.