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15/01/2026
Elspeth Baker-Vevers
ADHDInquiryNZ
[FYI request #33057 email]
Tēnā koe Elspeth
OIA: GEMS-46064 – ADHD Policy, Learning Support, PLD, Data and System Oversight
Thank you for your email of 30 November 2025 to the Ministry of Education requesting the
following information:
Time period: This request covers the period 1 January 2015 to the date this request is
received.
Format: Where datasets, tables, or modelling outputs are provided, I request they be
supplied in machine-readable format (CSV or original spreadsheet file), along with any data
dictionaries or field definitions.
Scope clarification to reduce unnecessary work To streamline this request, I am not
seeking internal email chains or drafts unless they are the only record of the substantive
information described.
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under s 18(f) due to substantial collation,
please identify that specific part early so I can refine it.
Please provide:
1. Leadership / Ownership
Any documents identifying which teams, units, or roles within the Ministry hold responsibility
for ADHD-related:
-policy
-learning support
-classroom practice
-PLD / workforce capability
-data monitoring
-cross-agency coordination
If no single responsible team or function exists, please confirm this.
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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2. Policy, Guidance, and Learning Support
Any policies, guidance, frameworks, or internal documents since 2015 that mention ADHD
in relation to:
-learning support
-behavioural guidance
-inclusive education
-supports for teachers, schools, and whānau -the RTLB service or Learning Support
Coordinators -School level interventions or funding streams
If ADHD is grouped under another category (e.g., “behaviour”, “additional learning needs”,
“neurodiversity”, “disability”), please specify which.
3. Initial Teacher Education & PLD / Workforce Capability
a. Initial Teacher Education (ITE)
Any MoE-held information or assessments describing expectations communicated to ITE
providers regarding ADHD-specific content or competencies (for example, in relation to
learning support, inclusion, or behaviour).
b. Professional Learning and Development (PLD) Any PLD programmes, contracts,
resources, or initiatives (2015–present) that include ADHD awareness, ADHD-inclusive
practice, or closely related neurodevelopmental content.
c. Evaluation / Feedback
Any evaluations, reviews, or feedback about:
-teachers’ preparedness to support learners with ADHD, and/or -the effectiveness of PLD
or workforce capability initiatives that include ADHD or closely related content.
If ADHD is not mentioned in ITE-related expectations or PLD materials, please confirm this.
4. Data & Monitoring
a. Monitoring of outcomes
Any reports, dashboards, metadata, or documentation on methods the Ministry uses to
monitor outcomes for students with ADHD, including (where available):
-participation / attendance
-disciplinary actions (suspensions, stand-downs, exclusions) -NCEA or other attainment -
transitions and early leaving -Learning Support involvement
b. Tracking and categorisation
Please confirm whether ADHD is currently tracked in:
-Learning Support data
OIA: GEMS-46064
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-ORS (Ongoing Resourcing Scheme)
-school-based data collections
-any internal monitoring sets
If ADHD is not tracked as a separate category, please confirm how it is categorised (e.g.,
behaviour, health condition, disability, learning support need).
5. IDI Evidence and Education Outcomes
Given the 2025 University of Otago findings that ADHD can be identified within IDI
datasets:
a. Has the Ministry produced, commissioned, or contributed to any IDI based analysis of
ADHD in education?
b. If not, please confirm whether any such work is planned or under discussion.
c. Any documents or correspondence discussing the Ministry’s response to, or planned use
of, this research.
6. Funding
Any information identifying funding allocated or spent specifically on ADHD-related:
-initiatives
-PLD
-learning support
-system improvements
-pilots or capability projects
Please exclude autism-specific or broad neurodiversity initiatives unless ADHD is explicitly
named.
7. Rights, Equity, and Compliance
Any assessments, reviews, or advice produced since 2015 that address whether students
with ADHD are having their rights upheld under:
-the Education and Training Act 2020
-the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC / UNCROC) -the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) -the Human
Rights Act 1993 -the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (s 19, freedom from
discrimination)
If any Māori data governance frameworks or Māori equity considerations were applied
when deciding whether to collect, categorise, or monitor ADHD-related information, please
provide the relevant documents.
Please include any analysis or data (if held) relating to gender, culture/ethnicity, or
Rainbow+/Takatāpui equity for students with ADHD, or confirm if such data are not
collected or are not reported separately.
OIA: GEMS-46064
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8. Gaps / Non-collection
If the Ministry does not hold some or all of the information requested, this absence also
helps clarify how ADHD is currently tracked and managed within the education system.
Please confirm if the information is not held, and include any documents recording:
-decisions not to collect ADHD related information -decisions to categorise ADHD under
another label (e.g., behaviour, disability, health, SEN) -known limitations in data, tracking,
or reporting relating to ADHD.
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 3 March 2026, which is an extension of 30 working days.
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-46064
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