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10/10/2025
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, Hon Erica Stanford that
was transferred to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) on 20 August 2025 requesting the
following information:
Please provide any 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 Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act).
We conducted a search through our records and have summarised below some recent
correspondence from organisations and individual’s writing in their professional capacity regarding
learning multiple languages and/or te reo Māori:
• An inter-agency request for feedback on the draft Maihi Karauna Annual Report, which
outlines Government activities supporting the use of te reo Māori over the past year.
• A teacher highlighting the differing needs of English language learners and those learning
English as a second language.
• A university lecturer proposing legislative changes to support New Zealand’s transition
toward bilingualism.
• A teacher suggesting the use of an app to support second language learning.
• An academic proposing ways to support Pacific languages in the New Zealand Curriculum
Refresh.
• A not-for-profit organisation sharing outcomes from the Language Learning for New
Zealand’s Future Forum.
Wellington National Office, 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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While we are able to provide these examples, we do not hold a comprehensive list of the
information you are seeking. The Minister’s office receives thousands of pieces of correspondence
each year, and it is not feasible to search each item to determine whether it was writ en in a
personal or professional capacity.
It’s also important to note that some correspondents may identify as teachers or academics but
explicitly state they are writing in a personal capacity. As such, we have not included those
examples. Your substantive request is therefore refused under section 18(f) of the Act as the
information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research.
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
Cindy McDonald
Principal Advisor, Official and Parliamentary Information
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services
OIA: 1352527
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