Ref: 200984
Thursday, 27 February 2020
A Robinson
By email to
[FYI request #12085 email]
Tēnā koe,
Response to your request for Official Information
On 27 January 2020, you requested from the Human Rights Commission (“the
Commission”) the following information per year for the period 2014 - 2019 (five
years):
1.
The number of discrimination complaints made about primary and secondary
schools.
2.
The number of schools that refuse to participate in HRC mediation when it is
offered.
3.
The number of schools that participate in mediation but an outcome is not
reached.
4.
The number of schools that participate in mediation when an outcome is
reached.
Discrimination complaints made about primary and secondary schools
From 1 January 2014 – 31 December 2019 the Commission received 235
complaints alleging unlawful discrimination by primary and/or secondary schools. Of
these 235 complaints, 30 (13%) progressed to mediation and 205 (87%) did not.
The following table provides a breakdown of those complaints:
Mediated
Year
Total
No
Yes
2014
26
4
30
2015
21
3
24
2016
29
2
31
2017
51
4
55
2018
33
10
43
2019
45
7
52
Grand Total
205
30
235
Level 8, 44 The Terrace, Wellington
PO Box 10424, The Terrace, Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Waea Telephone +64 4 473-9981 Waea Whakaahua Facsimile +64 9 377-3593
Infoline Toll free 0800 496 877 / TTY
[Human Rights Commission request email] www.hrc.co.nz
Schools refusing to participate in mediation
The Commission does not routinely record why a complaint has not progressed to
mediation. The reasons why a complaint may not progress to mediation are varied
and often specific to the particular complaint. Some examples of why a complaint
does not proceed to a mediation may include:
• The parties resolved the complaint independently of our mediation process;
• The complainant decided to no longer pursue mediation;
• The respondent (the party being complained about) chose not to engage in
the mediation process.
Mediation participation and outcomes reached
Of the 30 complaints mentioned above which the Commission mediated; 27
individual schools were involved.
Twenty of those complaints (66%) which involved 17 individual schools reached a
resolution through mediation.
The remaining 10 complaints (33%) which involved 10 individual schools did not
reach a resolution through mediation.
Alternative avenues
If you are unhappy with this response, under the Official Information Act you are
entitled to complain to the Ombudsman’s Office. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or on freephone 0800 802
602.
If you have any further queries about this response, please feel free to contact me
directly.
Nāku noa, nā
Jaimee Paenga
Legal Officer