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30/10/2025
Spencer Jones
[FYI request #32595 email]
Tēnā koe Spencer
OIA: 1354235 - Te Huruhi Primary School’s Te Reo Māori curriculum and related practices
Thank you for your email of 17 October 2025 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting
the following information:
1. Al information on Te Huruhi Primary School’s Te Reo Māori curriculum, including but
not limited to:
a) Detailed teaching plans, timetables, textbooks, course materials, and lesson
outlines for Te Reo Māori instruction.
b) 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.
c) Hours per week dedicated to Te Reo Māori and related activities.
2. Details on spiritual or religious elements within the curriculum, including:
a) How the school distinguishes between cultural, spiritual, and religious content in Te
Reo Māori and Te Ao Māori instruction.
b) Any policies, guidelines, or Ministry directives provided to the school on labeling
such elements as “cultural” rather than “spiritual” or “religious.”
c) 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:
a) 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.
b) Policies or procedures for parental opt-in/opt-out of any spiritual or religious
components in Te Reo Māori or Te Ao Māori activities.
c) 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 Bil of Rights Act 1990 (Sections 13 and 14).
Wellington National Of ice, 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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4. Ministry correspondence and involvement:
a) Al 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.
b) Any internal Ministry memos, emails, reports, or notes related to the above topics
for Te Huruhi Primary School.
5. Broader policy and guidance:
a) 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 Bil of Rights Act 1990, and Article 14 of
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
b) Any data or reports on national trends in parental complaints about spiritual
elements in school curricula, including how such complaints are resolved.
Your request has been considered under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act), and
renumbered for ease of reference.
We have determined that
parts one, two and three b) of your request are not held by the Ministry
but are believed to be held by and more closely connected with the functions of Te Huruhi Primary
School.
As such, I have transferred these aspects of your request to Te Huruhi Primary School in
accordance with sections 14(b)(i) and 14(b)(i ) of the Act.
You may expect a response from Te Huruhi Primary School directly concerning these aspects of
your request.
Nāku noa, nā
Lucy Jordan
Senior Advisor, Official and Parliamentary Information
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services
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