Thank you for your email to the Ministry of Education.  
This is an auto generated response confirming your email has been received.
Please do not respond to this message.  
The Ministry of Education is closed for the holiday period between the
25^th of December and 4^th of January.
  
We will respond to your email as soon as possible on our return.   
Happy Holidays!
Tēnā koe mō tō īmēra mai ki te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.  
  
He urupare aunoa tēnei hei whakaatu kua tae mai tō īmēra
ki a mātou. Kaua noa e whakautu i tēnei karere.  
  
Mea ake nei ka urupare tonu atu mātou ki tō īmēra. 

  

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[UNCLASSIFIED]

Kia ora Erika

Thank you for the information request below. The Ministry will consider and respond to your request in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).

Under section 15(1) of the Act, we are required to make and inform you of our decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which your request is received. You can therefore expect to receive our decision on your request on or before 13 February 2026. If more than 20 working days are needed due to the potential workload and/or consultations involved in answering your request, we will notify you accordingly.

Please note, the days between 25 December – 15 January (inclusive) and 6 February 2026 are not considered to be “working days” for the purposes of calculating the 20 working day timeframe for providing a response under the Act.

In the interim, if you have any questions about your request, please email [email address].

Ngâ mihi

Enquiries National Team | Te Tâhuhu o te Mâtauranga | Ministry of Education | IB
National Office, 1 The Terrace, Wellington

education.govt.nz

He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ôna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tçnâ koe Erika

OIA: GEMS-46464 – COVID-19 sick leave

Thank you for your email of 24 December 2025 to the Ministry of Education
(the Ministry) requesting the following information:

In 2020-2023 there was an additional allowance of sick days for workers
who got covid 19 that was on top of regular sick days.

Can you please provide summarized covid sick days data by month (or
fortnightly pay period) of Covid sick leave for all Ministry of Education
and school staff?

eg one row would be "Nov 2021,  55 covid sick days taken"

The timeframe for this information on covid sick days is from the start of
6 April 2020 to end of 15 August 2023. This is the timeframe that the
Covid sick day allowance was in place according to the IRD.

Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act).

We have interpreted your request as being for information the Ministry
holds in relation to the COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme, which is outlined
here:
[1]https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/produc....

As outlined on that page, State Sector organisations were generally not
eligible for COVID-19 payments. As a result, the Ministry was not part of
this scheme and I am therefore refusing your request for this information
under section 18(e) of the Act, as the information does not exist as we
were not included in the scheme.

Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to
review my decision on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the
Act. You can do this by writing to [2][email address] or to
Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.

  

Nâku noa, nâ,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | CM

[3]education.govt.nz

He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ôna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[4]Te Tâhuhu o te Mâtauranga

 

 

 

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Thank you for your email to the Ministry of Education.  
This is an auto generated response confirming your email has been received.
Please do not respond to this message.  
  
We will respond to your email as soon as possible.
Tēnā koe mō tō īmēra mai ki te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.     
  
He urupare aunoa tēnei hei whakaatu kua tae mai tō īmēra
ki a mātou. Kaua noa e whakautu i tēnei karere.  
  
Mea ake nei ka urupare tonu atu mātou ki tō īmēra. 

  

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Kia ora Erika,

So that we can provide you with the information you are seeking, can you please clarify whether you are seeking the number of sick days granted specifically for COVID-19 e.g. under a special leave type, or are you requesting the number of all general sick leave days taken that were recorded as for COVID-19?

Nāku noa, nā,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | TF
education.govt.nz

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tçnâ koe Erika,

 

Please find attached the Ministry’s further response in relation to your
request under the Official Information Act 1982.  

 

Nâku noa, nâ

 

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | HW

[1]education.govt.nz

He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ôna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[2]Te Tâhuhu o te Mâtauranga

 

 

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