Dear Ministry of Education,

Under the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, I request copies of the following information and documentation held by the Ministry of Education.

PREEMPTIVE STATUTORY NOTICE regarding the Public Interest Test (Section 9(1)):

In submitting this request, I explicitly note the $10.4 million operational deficit facing Playcentre Aotearoa and the subsequent disestablishment of paid Programme Facilitators. Because these structural failures directly threaten the licensing compliance and operational survival of hundreds of community centres, there is an undeniable, overwhelming public interest in the transparency of this information.

Any attempt to withhold this information under Section 9(2)(f)(iv) ("maintain the constitutional conventions") or Section 9(2)(g)(i) ("free and frank expression of opinions") is preemptively contested. The public interest of thousands of New Zealand families and the expenditure of millions of dollars in Crown early learning subsidies heavily outweigh any interest in withholding. Furthermore, as the September 2026 ECE Funding Review approaches, families cannot be left in the dark about the government's structural intentions for parent-led models.

MY REQUEST:

1. The September 2026 ECE Funding Review & Government Intentions:

All internal advice briefs, draft policy papers, and modelling generated by the Ministry or the ECE Funding System Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) concerning options to alter funding streams for "parent-led" vs "teacher-led" models.

Any reports or communication notes detailing the Ministry's or Associate Minister David Seymour’s assessment of the long-term viability of the Playcentre volunteer model against modern labour market participation goals.

All financial impact modelling exploring the effect of enforcing "fiscal neutrality" on non-profit, community, and volunteer-reliant ECE providers versus commercial operations.

2. Playcentre Aotearoa’s Financial Position & Deficit:

All internal briefings, risk assessments, and educational reports generated since 1 January 2025 regarding Playcentre Aotearoa's operational sustainability and the management of its structural deficit.

Any regional impact reports or licensing compliance modelling held by the Ministry regarding the specific operational risks to Auckland region centres following the disestablishment of paid Programme Facilitators.

3. National Office Governance and Co-Governance Friction:

All correspondence, emails, and meeting minutes between Ministry of Education officials, Associate Minister David Seymour, and the Playcentre Aotearoa Trustee Board regarding internal governance disputes or structural tensions between the co-governance houses (Tangata Tiriti and Te Whare Tikanga Māori).

Any correspondence or reports held by the Ministry regarding complaints of cultural unsafety, systemic racism, or a failure to meet Te Tiriti o Waitangi or licensing compliance obligations within the Playcentre Aotearoa National Office leadership.

As per the Act, I look forward to receiving your decision on this request within 20 working days.

Yours faithfully,

Adriana van Altvorst