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19/12/2025
Ross Stewart
[FYI request #32962 email]
Tēnā koe Ross
OIA: GEMS-45940 – Mt Wellington/Waimokoia Residential School
Thank you for your email of 22 November 2025 to the Ministry of Education requesting the
following information:
I seek disclosure of the year in which the Auckland Education Field Officer visited Mt
Wellington Residential School and reported suspicions of improprieties being committed
against pupils.
Please confirm:
•
The year of the visit.
•
The field officer reportor findings.
•
Was the department of education head office informed of the suspicions of
improprieties.
•
Whether any record exists of the Field Officer’s suspicions or findings.
•
If no record exists, please state clearly whether such a report was ever created.
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 necessitates a search through a large quantity of information,
and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere
with the operations of the Ministry.
As outlined in our email of 29 October 2025 for OIA 1354219, 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, across a number of years. To identify the information
you have requested, and provide a comprehensive response, requires a thorough examination of
these records. We are actively searching through these records for your three requests.
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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You can now expect to receive a response to your request on or before 17 February 2026, which is
an extension of 25 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, and 6 February 2026 – Waitangi Day 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
Kelly Jensen
Senior Advisor Official and Parliamentary Information
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services
OIA: GEMS-45940
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