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I am making historical records

Ross Stewart made this Official Information request to Ministry of Education

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From: Ross Stewart

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I respectfully request the following information regarding Mt Wellington Residential School (also known as Kohitere or the Special Residential School, Auckland), specifically during the period between 1958 and 1975:

Staff Qualifications and Training:

Records of staff employed during this period, including their roles and any formal qualifications or training in child care, education, or social work.

Any policies or requirements in place at the time regarding staff training or vetting.

Field Officer Reports and Concerns:

Any reports, correspondence, or internal memos from Auckland-based education field officers or District Child Welfare Officers expressing concern or suspicion of improprieties or abuse involving pupils.

Records indicating whether these concerns were investigated, and if so, the outcomes of those investigations.

Use of Isolation or “Time-Out” Rooms:

Documentation or policy guidelines regarding the use of isolation rooms or “time-out” spaces at the school.

Any records of incidents involving pupils being placed in such rooms, including duration and reasons.

Disciplinary Practices:

Any official policies or guidance on physical punishment or disciplinary practices at the school during this time.

Records of complaints, investigations, or disciplinary actions involving staff accused of excessive or inappropriate punishment.
Ross Stewart

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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education

Thank you for your email to the Ministry of Education.  
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Please do not respond to this message.  
  
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He urupare aunoa tēnei hei whakaatu kua tae mai tō īmēra
ki a mātou. Kaua noa e whakautu i tēnei karere.  
  
Mea ake nei ka urupare tonu atu mātou ki tō īmēra. 

  

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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Kia ora Ross

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 17 November 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.

The Ministry may publicly release on our website the response to your request five days after you have received it. Any personal information will be removed.

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

Ngā mihi

Enquiries National Team | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education | TW
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

-----Original Message-----
From: Ross Stewart <[FOI #32593 email]>
Sent: Friday, 17 October 2025 11:24 am
To: Enquiries National <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - I am making historical records

[You don't often get email from [FOI #32593 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I respectfully request the following information regarding Mt Wellington Residential School (also known as Kohitere or the Special Residential School, Auckland), specifically during the period between 1958 and 1975:

Staff Qualifications and Training:

Records of staff employed during this period, including their roles and any formal qualifications or training in child care, education, or social work.

Any policies or requirements in place at the time regarding staff training or vetting.

Field Officer Reports and Concerns:

Any reports, correspondence, or internal memos from Auckland-based education field officers or District Child Welfare Officers expressing concern or suspicion of improprieties or abuse involving pupils.

Records indicating whether these concerns were investigated, and if so, the outcomes of those investigations.

Use of Isolation or “Time-Out” Rooms:

Documentation or policy guidelines regarding the use of isolation rooms or “time-out” spaces at the school.

Any records of incidents involving pupils being placed in such rooms, including duration and reasons.

Disciplinary Practices:

Any official policies or guidance on physical punishment or disciplinary practices at the school during this time.

Records of complaints, investigations, or disciplinary actions involving staff accused of excessive or inappropriate punishment.
Ross Stewart

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DISCLAIMER:
This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Education accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education

Attachment image001.png
9K Download

[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Kia ora Ross,

 

Thank you for your email of 17 October 2025 requesting the following
information from the Ministry of Education (the Ministry):

 

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I respectfully request the
following information regarding Mt Wellington Residential School (also
known as Kohitere or the Special Residential School, Auckland),
specifically during the period between 1958 and 1975:

·       Staff Qualifications and Training:

o   Records of staff employed during this period, including their roles
and any formal qualifications or training in child care, education, or
social work.

o   Any policies or requirements in place at the time regarding staff
training or vetting.

·       Field Officer Reports and Concerns:

o   Any reports, correspondence, or internal memos from Auckland-based
education field officers or District Child Welfare Officers expressing
concern or suspicion of improprieties or abuse involving pupils.

o   Records indicating whether these concerns were investigated, and if
so, the outcomes of those investigations.

·       Use of Isolation or “Time-Out” Rooms:

o   Documentation or policy guidelines regarding the use of isolation
rooms or “time-out” spaces at the school.

o   Any records of incidents involving pupils being placed in such rooms,
including duration and reasons.

·       Disciplinary Practices:

o   Any official policies or guidance on physical punishment or
disciplinary practices at the school during this time.

o   Records of complaints, investigations, or disciplinary actions
involving staff accused of excessive or inappropriate punishment.

 

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

 

Your request, as currently worded, is very broad in nature and scope and
lacks due particularity. In the hope that we are able to reasonably
identify the information you are seeking, and so that we may be able to
avoid refusing your request, we would like to invite you to clarify and
refine the scope of your request.

 

Firstly, can you please confirm that you are seeking information about Mt
Wellington Residential School, which then became known as Waimokoia
Residential School? Kohitere Boys' Training Centre is the name of a
different institution, which was based in Levin. If you are seeking
information about this institution instead, can you please confirm that.

 

As part of establishing the rapid payment process for Mt
Wellington/Waimokoia Residential School, the Ministry has undertaken a
significant amount of research on the school. As a result, to collate the
information you have requested, as it currently stands, may require
substantial collation or research and therefore may be refused under
section 18(f) of the Act. We therefore invite you to clarify your request.

 

You can find more information about the Ministry’s rapid payment process
for Mt Wellington/Waimokoia Residential School here:
[1]https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/a....
You will also find a research report regarding the school that may be of
use to you in clarifying your request, and may provide some of the
information you have requested:
[2]https://web-assets.education.govt.nz/s3f....

 

Given the information already publicly available that I have linked above,
are there any other aspects of your request that can be refined, or that
you no longer require information for? Regarding the scope of your
request, the period 1958-1975 is a relatively long period of time, are you
able to reduce the time-period you are requesting information about?

 

We look forward to hearing from you. Once we have your
refinement/clarification, we will commence work on your request. Please
respond to this email by 5 November 2025.

 

Please note that, in line with section 15 (1AA) of the Act, if refinement
or clarification of a request is sought within seven working days of the
date on which the request was received, the Ministry may treat the amended
or clarified request as a new request that replaces the original request
for the purposes of calculating the timeframe.

 

 

Nâku noa, nâ,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | LJ

[3]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
[4][IMG]

 

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DISCLAIMER:
This email and any attachments may contain information that is
confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this
email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in
error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the
email and attachments. The Ministry of Education accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after
transmission from the Ministry.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/a...
2. https://web-assets.education.govt.nz/s3f...
3. http://www.education.govt.nz/
4. https://www.education.govt.nz/

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From: Ross Stewart

Dear Enquiries National,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I respectfully request the
following information regarding Mt Wellington Residential School.

Subject: Clarification and Refinement of OIA Request – Mt Wellington Residential School (1960–1978)

Thank you for your response and the opportunity to clarify my request.

To confirm: I am seeking information specifically about Mt Wellington Residential School, which was later known as Waimokoia Residential School, and not Kohitere Boys' Training Centre.

To assist with processing my request, I have refined and itemised the scope as follows. I am requesting information held by your agency relating to Mt Wellington/Waimokoia Residential School between 1960 and 1978, limited to the following categories:

1. Staff Qualifications and Training
A list of staff employed during this period, including their roles (where available).

Any records or policies outlining staff qualification requirements or training expectations in child care, education, or social work.

Any staff vetting or background check procedures in place at the time.

2. Field Officer Reports and Concerns
Reports, correspondence, or internal memos from Auckland-based education field officers or District Child Welfare Officers that raise concerns or suspicions of misconduct or abuse involving pupils.

Any records showing whether such concerns were investigated, and the outcomes of those investigations (if available).

3. Use of Isolation or “Time-Out” Rooms
Any documentation or policy guidelines regarding the use of isolation or “time-out” rooms at the school.

Any records of incidents involving pupils being placed in such rooms, including the stated reasons and duration of use.

4. Disciplinary Practices
Official policies or guidance documents on physical punishment or disciplinary practices in effect during this period.

Records of complaints, investigations, or disciplinary actions involving staff accused of excessive or inappropriate punishment.

I hope this clarification provides the necessary specificity to assist with your search. If any part of this request remains too broad or unclear, I would be happy to further refine it in consultation with you.

Thank you again for your time and assistance.

Kind regards

·
Ross Styewart

Y

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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education

Attachment image001.png
3K Download

Attachment 1354219 Extension.pdf
248K Download View as HTML

[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tēnā koe Ross,    

 

Please find attached a letter in relation to your request under the
 Official Information Act 1982.

 

Nāku noa, nā

 

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | HW

[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]Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

 

 

 

 

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DISCLAIMER:
This email and any attachments may contain information that is
confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this
email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in
error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the
email and attachments. The Ministry of Education accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after
transmission from the Ministry.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.education.govt.nz/
2. https://www.education.govt.nz/

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From: Ross Stewart

Dear Enquiries National,

As of 5pm 26 Novemeber dealine required by law was not meet answering my questions I have offically laid a compliant with the Ombudsman

Yours sincerely,

Ross Stewart

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From: Enquiries National
Ministry of Education

Attachment OIA1354219 notification of extension.html
4K Download

Attachment image001.png
3K Download

Attachment 1354219 Extension.pdf
248K Download View as HTML

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Kia ora

Thank you for your follow up email below.

Please note the attached which was sent to you on the 26th of November.

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

-----Original Message-----
From: Ross Stewart <[FOI #32593 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 27 November 2025 6:57 am
To: Enquiries National <[email address]>
Subject: Re: OIA1354219: notification of extension

Dear Enquiries National,

As of 5pm 26 Novemeber dealine required by law was not meet answering my questions I have offically laid a compliant with the Ombudsman

Yours sincerely,

Ross Stewart

-----Original Message-----

[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tēnā koe Ross,

Please find attached a letter in relation to your request under the
Official Information Act 1982.

Nāku noa, nā

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | HW

[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]Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #32593 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

________________________________

DISCLAIMER:
This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Education accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

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