18/06/2024
Patrick James
[FYI request #26662 email]
Tēnā koe Patrick
OIA: 1328253 – Final reports and advice relating to residential specialist schools
Thank you for your email of 7 May 2024 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting the
following information:
1. I request all final reports and advice, created by the Ministry or under contract, relating to the
3 residential specialist schools since the start of 2023.
2. If any information is withheld, i would like to know what date it can be released, and a
commitment by the Ministry to publicly release it on that date.
On 20 May 2024 you clarified your request as follows:
1.
What has been seen within the Ministry. Can i narrow it to Ministry's top 3 management
layers?
On 31 May 2024 the Ministry notified you that our initial search has identified a broad range of
different types of final reports and/or advice. And that the following key topics are covered by them:
1. RSS property redevelopment projects
2. Funding for the three schools (Salisbury, Halswell and Westbridge)
3. Research evaluation conducted by Auckland University on the experience of families and
children who have attended RSS
4. Responding to the recommendations from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities in RSS
5. School Board appointments
We asked you to identify which of the above key topic/topics would be of interest, so that we might
be able to determine the information that is most meaningful to you.
On 5 June 2024 you confirmed that you would like to have the information on all 5.
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
The Ministry needs to extend the timeframe for responding to your request, pursuant to section
15A(1)(a) of the Act, as the request is for a large quantity of information or necessitates a search
8 Gilmer Terrace, Levels Ground floor, 1, 2, and 6-14, Wellington
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
through a large quantity of information, and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably
interfere
with the operations of the Ministry. You can now expect to receive a response to your
request on or before 31 July 2024, which is an extension of 30 working days.
You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to investigate our decision to extend the timeframe for
responding to this request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā
Cindy McDonald
Principal Advisor
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services
