Kia ora

Thank you for the information request below. The Ministry will consider and respond to your request in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).

Under section 15(1) of the Act, we are required to make and inform you of our decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which your request is received. You can therefore expect to receive our decision on your request on or before the 9th of September 2025. If more than 20 working days are needed due to the potential workload and/or consultations involved in answering your request, we will notify you accordingly.

In the interim, if you have any questions about your request, please email [email address].s

Ngā mihi

Enquiries National Team | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education | MC
education.govt.nz

We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes
He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga

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[UNCLASSIFIED]

Tçnâ koe Rimu

 

Thank you for your email of 12 August 2025 to the Ministry of Education
(the Ministry) requesting the following information:

 

I'm requesting copies of all emails, instant messages, texts, and
transcripts of phone calls/video calls received by the Minister and their
office/senior Ministry officials on the use of "Artificial Intelligence"
in the assessment/marking of primary, intermediate, and secondary school
students' work, between 01/12/2023 and 01/12/2024, excluding
communications from members of the public.

 

Specifically, I am looking for official information held, within the
constraints described above, concerning the changes to the NCEA system,
NZQA, and their overhaul.

 

For your reference, key search terms may include, but are not limited to:
Generative AI, GenAI, AI model, discriminative AI model, generative AI
model, Large Language Model, LLM, Machine learning model, GPT, AI-marking,
AI-assessment, Automated marking, Automated assessment, AI-assisted, and
AI-assistance, hallucination, prompts.

Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act).

As currently worded, your overarching request relates to “the use of
"Artificial Intelligence" in the assessment/marking of primary,
intermediate, and secondary school students' work”. However, you then say
that you are “specifically…within the constraints described above” seeking
information about “the changes to the NCEA system, NZQA, and their
overhaul”.

As the primary and intermediate sectors do not sit NCEA and have little to
do with NZQA, those aspects of your request do not align. You have also
made your request to the Ministry, but the Ministry does not hold
information received by the Minister, and information relating to NZQA is
more closely related to the functions of NZQA.

Further, since you specify that your request excludes communications from
members of the public, it is not clear which parties’ correspondence you
are seeking, as within that context, “received by the Minister and their
office/senior Ministry officials” could be interpreted as either “received
by the Minister OR received by senior officials” (from whom?), or as
“exchanged between the Minister and senior officials”. Noting again that
information relating to the functions of NZQA (including the potential use
of AI in NCEA marking) is more closely related to the functions of NZQA.

In order to begin work on your request or determine the need to transfer,
we would be grateful if you could clarify the information that you are
seeking.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Please note that, in line with section 15 (1AA) of the Act, if a request
is amended or clarified after the date on which it is received, the
Ministry may treat the amended or clarified request as a new request that
replaces the original request.  

 

Nâku noa, nâ,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | ED

[1]education.govt.nz

He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ôna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[2][IMG]

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tēnā koe Rimu

 

Please find attached a response to your request under the Official
Information Act.

  

Nāku noa, nā,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | AM

[1]education.govt.nz

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ōna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[2][IMG]

show quoted sections