[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL] 
 
17/09/2025 
H Atkins 
[FYI request #31992 email]  
Tēnā koe H Atkins 
OIA: 1352527 – Briefings provided on bilingual hindrance  
Thank you for your email of 13 August 2025 to the Minister of Education that was transferred to the 
Ministry of Education (the Ministry) on 20 August 2025 requesting the following information:  
Briefings or correspondence (emails, texts and signal messages, but excluding 
correspondence with private citizens) that mention the positives or negatives of learning 
multiple languages or learning Te reo Māori that have been provided to the Minster or her 
Office. 
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)(b) of the Act, as consultations necessary to make a decision on the request are such that a 
proper response cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit. You can now expect to 
receive a response to your request on or before 15 October 2025, which is an extension of 20 
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, Official and Parliamentary Information 
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services 
 Wellington National Office, 1 The Terrace, Levels 5 to 14, Wellington 6011 
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, DX SR51201 Phone: +64 4 463 8000 
[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL] 

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