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26/11/2025
Ross Stewart
[FYI request #32593 email]
Tēnā koe Ross
OIA: 1354219 – Information regarding Mt Wellington Residential School/Waimokoia
Thank you for your email of 17 October 2025 to the Ministry of Education requesting 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.
Thank you also for your response to our clarification and refinement request on 29 October 2025,
where you confirmed that you were seeking information regarding Mt Wellington Residential
School/Waimokoia, that the date range you were requesting information about was 1960–1978 and
clarified your request to the following:
1. Staff Qualifications and Training
•
A list of staff employed during this period, including their roles (where available).
Wellington National Office, 1 The Terrace, Levels 5 to 14, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, DX SR51201 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
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•
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.
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)(a) of the Act, as the request is for a large quantity of information or necessitates a search
through a large quantity of information, and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably
interfere
with the operations of the Ministry. You can now expect to receive a response to your
request on or before 29 January 2026, which is an extension of 30 working days.
Please note this date takes into account the period commencing with 25 December in any year and
ending with 15 January in the following year, which are not considered to be working days for the
purposes of the Act.
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
Lucy Jordan
Senior Advisor, Official and Parliamentary Information
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services
OIA: 1354219
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