Dear Ministry of Education,

I am writing under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) to request official information held by the Ministry of Education regarding Te Huruhi Primary School’s Te Reo Māori curriculum and related practices. This request is made in the public interest, as it pertains to parental rights, religious neutrality in state education, and compliance with New Zealand law—issues of national significance affecting parents, caregivers, and children across the country.

Specifically, I request:

1. All information on Te Huruhi Primary School’s Te Reo Māori curriculum, including but not limited to:
• Detailed teaching plans, timetables, textbooks, course materials, and lesson outlines for Te Reo Māori instruction.
• Any incorporation of Te Ao Māori elements, such as karakia (prayers), references to atua (Māori deities), wairua (spirit), mana, tūpuna (ancestors), kapa haka, pōwhiri, or other cultural practices that may involve spiritual or religious concepts.
• Hours per week dedicated to Te Reo Māori and related activities.

2. Details on spiritual or religious elements within the curriculum, including:
• How the school distinguishes between cultural, spiritual, and religious content in Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Māori instruction.
• Any policies, guidelines, or Ministry directives provided to the school on labeling such elements as “cultural” rather than “spiritual” or “religious.”
• Evidence of how these elements are delivered without invoking or practicing spiritual/religious concepts, as stated in the school’s communications.

3. Compliance with the Education and Training Act 2020 (ETA), particularly Sections 58 and 59, including:
• Any audits, reviews, or assessments conducted by the Ministry on Te Huruhi Primary School’s adherence to ETA requirements for optional religious or spiritual instruction, informed parental consent (opt-in processes), and separation from the standard curriculum.
• Policies or procedures for parental opt-in/opt-out of any spiritual or religious components in Te Reo Māori or Te Ao Māori activities.
• Records of complaints or inquiries received by the Ministry about Te Huruhi Primary School’s curriculum, including those related to religious neutrality, consent, or the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (Sections 13 and 14).

4. Ministry correspondence and involvement:
• All communications between the Ministry of Education and Te Huruhi Primary School (including the Principal, Board of Trustees, or staff) from 1 January 2025 to the present, regarding the Te Reo Māori curriculum, Te Ao Māori integration, religious/spiritual elements, parental inquiries, or compliance issues. This includes any involvement or advice from Ministry officials, such as Clinton Rowe.
• Any internal Ministry memos, emails, reports, or notes related to the above topics for Te Huruhi Primary School.

5. Broader policy and guidance:
• Ministry guidelines or frameworks provided to state primary schools on integrating Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Māori while ensuring secular education and compliance with ETA Sections 58-59, the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, and Article 14 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Any data or reports on national trends in parental complaints about spiritual elements in school curricula, including how such complaints are resolved.

Please provide this information in electronic format (e.g., PDF or Word documents) where possible, to facilitate accessibility and sharing. If any part of this request is likely to be withheld (e.g., under OIA Sections 6, 9, or 18), please specify the reasons and provide the remaining information without delay. I do not require personal information about third parties to be redacted if it is already in the public domain or essential to understanding the curriculum and compliance.

This request is urgent due to its impact on a child’s upcoming enrollment and ongoing public discussions about secular education in New Zealand. If feasible, I request a response sooner than the statutory 20 working days.

If clarification is needed, please contact me promptly rather than extending the timeframe. For transparency, this request may be published on public platforms such as FYI.org.nz.
Thank you for your assistance in promoting accountability and parental rights in education.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones