OIA 1348826 response.pdf

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22/01/2026
Kelly
[FYI request #31167 email]
Tēnā koe Kelly
OIA: 1348826 – Communications with Science subject associations
Thank you for your email of 31 May 2025 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting the
following information:
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request copies of all communications received be,
AND sent to, the science subject associations: SCENZ, NZASE, NZIP, BEANZ from April
1st to May 31st. To aid your request, the following email addresses are provided:
•  NZASE (New Zealand Association of Science Educators)
•  Catherine Hunter – President – [email address]
•  Doug Walker – Vice President – [email address]
•  SCENZ (Secondary Chemistry Educators of New Zealand)
•  Ian Torrie – Chair – [email address]
•  BEANZ (Biology Educators Association of New Zealand)
•  President: Kenneth Loh ([email address], [email address]) Vice
President: Erica Jar ([email address], [email address])
•  NZIP (New Zealand Institute of Physics)
•  Dave Housden – President – [email address] / [email address]
•  Dave Thrasher – Secretary – [email address] /
[email address]
•  Helen Housden – PLD Support – [email address]
Please include the following types of communications: Emails (including attachments),
Meeting minutes, Pre- and post-meeting documents, Reports, Memos, Digital
communications (such as text messages and messaging apps), Any other relevant
correspondence or documentation, including communications through unofficial channels
such as personal email addresses, phone numbers, and minutes from meetings (whether
face to face or digital).
Should meeting minutes be absent, then a record of who was present.

Wellington National Of ice, 1 The Terrace, Levels 5 to 14, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1666, Wel ington 6140, DX SR51201 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
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On 11 June 2025, the Ministry wrote to you to refine your request, due to its broad nature. You
agreed to refine your request to the following:
all communications received be, AND sent to, the science subject associations: SCENZ,
NZASE, NZIP, BEANZ from April 1st to May 31st, which include the following
individuals/email addresses:
•  NZASE (New Zealand Association of Science Educators)
•  Catherine Hunter – President – [email address]
•  Doug Walker – Vice President – [email address] SCENZ
(Secondary Chemistry Educators of New Zealand)
•  Ian Torrie – Chair – [email address] BEANZ (Biology Educators
Association of New Zealand)
•  President: Kenneth Loh ([email address], [email address])
•  Vice President: Erica Jar ([email address],
[email address]) NZIP (New Zealand Institute of Physics)
•  Dave Housden – President – [email address] /
[email address]
•  Dave Thrasher – Secretary – [email address] /
[email address]
•  Helen Housden – PLD Support – [email address]
Please include the following types of communications:
Emails (including attachments), Meeting minutes, Pre- and post-meeting documents,
Reports, Memos, Digital communications (such as text messages and messaging apps),
Any other relevant correspondence or documentation, including communications through
unofficial channels such as personal email addresses, phone numbers, and minutes from
meetings (whether face to face or digital).
On 7 July 2025, we wrote to you extending the time to provide a decision on your request,
pursuant to sections 15A(1)(a) and 15A(1)(b) of the Act.
On 8 August 2025, we provided a decision on your request, advising that we intend to grant your
request in in part; however, the information would take longer to prepare for release.
I am now able to release this information to you. I apologise for the time this has taken.
The Ministry undertook a search using the description of your refined request and identified
19 documents in scope. One additional document was subsequently identified as in-scope, making
it a total of 20 documents, of which some include attachments. I apologise for the omission in our
decision letter of 8 August 2025.
Please find this material set out in the Appendix A – Document Table below, together with my
decision on release, and copies enclosed as Appendix A.

OIA: 1348826
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Some information will be withheld under the following sections of the Act:
•  9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons.
•  9(2)(k), to enable a Minister of the Crown or any public service agency or organisation
holding the information to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations
(including commercial and industrial negotiations).
As required under section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered the public interest in releasing the
information withheld. I do not consider that the public interest considerations favouring the release
of this information are sufficient to outweigh the need to withhold it at this time.
Please note, we also advised in our decision letter that some information may be withheld under
section 9(2)(j) of the Act to enable a Minister of the Crown or any public service agency or
organisation holding the information to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations
(including commercial and industrial negotiations). Given the passage of time, the Ministry no
longer considers these grounds applicable and therefore no information has been withheld under
section 9(2)(j) of the Act. Information that relates to the administrative forwarding of emails to
respond to your request has been marked as out of scope.
Please note, we may publish this response on our website after five working days. Your name and
contact details wil  be removed.
Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review my decision
on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or to Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā

Giles Painting
Hautū (Taupua) | Deputy Secretary (Acting)
Te Mahau | Te Poutāhū (Curriculum Centre)

OIA: 1348826
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Appendix A – Document Table

#
Date
From
To
Subject
Decision on release
1
30 May
National
Subject
Helping us
Released in ful .
2025
Curriculum
Associations
update The
Refresh
New Zealand
general inbox
Curriculum:
Focus Group.
2
30 May
Curriculum
Withheld
An invitation
Released in part.
2025
Review
under section  to help us in
Some information
9(2)(a)
reviewing the  withheld under section
New Zealand  9(2)(a) of the Act.
Curriculum:
Focus Group
Review
2a
Attachment: Non-Disclosure Agreement blank form
Released in ful .
2b
Attachment: Declaration of interests’ blank form
Released in ful .
2c
Attachment: New Supplier Detail blank form
Released in ful .
3
28 May
Catherine
National
National
Released in part.
2025
Hunter
Curriculum
Curriculum
Some information
refresh
Refresh
withheld under section
9(2)(a) of the Act.
3a
Attachment: NZASE _science curriculum rewrite applications  Released in part.
(responses)
Some information
withheld under section
9(2)(a) of the Act.
4
28 May
Catherine
NCEA
Re: NCEA
Released in ful .
2025
Hunter
Review
Review and
Maintenance
Program for
2025
5
26 May
Ian Torrie
National
Science
Released in part.
2025
Curriculum
Curriculum
Some information
Refresh
Focus Group  withheld under section
nominations   9(2)(a) of the Act.
6
2 May 2025  Ian Torrie
National
Science
Released in part.
Curriculum
Curriculum
Some information
Refresh
Focus Group  withheld under section
Nominations   9(2)(a) of the Act.
OIA: 1348826
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7
2 May 2025  Ian Torrie
National
Science
Released in part.
Curriculum
Curriculum
Some information
Refresh
Focus Group  withheld under section
Nominations
9(2)(a) of the Act.
8
1 May 2025  National
National
EOI for
Released in ful .
Curriculum
Curriculum
Review
Refresh
Refresh
Group
nominations
extended by
one week
9
1 May 2025  Ian Torrie
Withheld
Science
Released in part.
under section  Curriculum
Some information
9(2)(a)
withheld under section
9(2)(a) of the Act.
10
30 April
education@n
National
Re: Helping
Released in part.
2025
zip.org.nz
Curriculum
us to update
Some information
Refresh
the New
withheld under section
Curriculum:
9(2)(a) of the Act.
Focus Group
10a  [9(2)(a)] – Curriculum Vitae
Withheld in full.

Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
10b  [9(2)(a)] – Curriculum Vitae
Withheld in full.

Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
10c  [9(2)(a)] – Curriculum Vitae
Withheld in full.

Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
11d  [9(2)(a)] – Curriculum Vitae
Withheld in full.

Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
10e  [9(2)(a)] – Curriculum Vitae
Withheld in full.

Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
OIA: 1348826
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11
30 April
National
National
FAQs related  Released in ful .
2025
Curriculum
Curriculum
to EOI for
Refresh
Refresh
National
Curriculum
Review
Group
Nominations
12
30 April
Ian Torrie
Derek Lyons   RE; Science
Released in part.
2025
curriculum
Some information
Focus Group  withheld under section
proposal
9(2)(a) of the Act
13
23 April
NCEA
education@n
RE: NCEA
Released in part.
2025
Review
zip.org.nz
Review and
Some information
Maintenance  withheld under section
Program for
9(2)(a) of the Act
2025
14
Withheld under section 9(2)(a)
Withheld in full.
Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
15
23 April
education@n
NCEA review   RE: NCEA
Released in part.
2025
zip.org.nz
Review and
Some information
Maintenance  withheld under section
Program for
9(2)(a) of the Act
2025
15a  Attachment
Released in ful .
15b  Attachment
Released in ful .
16
Withheld under section 9(2)(a)
Withheld in full.
Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
17
15 April
National
National
Developing
Released in part.
2025
Curriculum
Curriculum
the New
Some information
Refresh
Refresh
Zealand
withheld under section
Curriculum –  9(2)(a) of the Act
Update for
Contributor
Groups
OIA: 1348826
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18
Withheld under section 9(2)(a)
Withheld in full.
Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
19
Withheld under section 9(2)(a)
Withheld in full.
Information withheld
under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
20
1 April 2025  -
Doug Walker   RE: Science
Released in part.
Sas and MoE  Some information
– Curriculum  withheld under
update
sections 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(k) of the Act.

OIA: 1348826
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