The Chief Ombudsman is seeking an urgent meeting with the Secretary for Education after allegations Ministry of Education staff were encouraged to keep some communications out of writing to avoid scrutiny under the Official Information Act.
Chief Ombudsman John Allen says he has significant concerns following media reports about a leaked video involving a senior staff member within the Ministry’s curriculum centre.
The footage reportedly shows a manager telling staff not to record in writing feedback received from the Minister of Education’s office about draft secondary school curricula, because written communications could be discoverable through an OIA request. A whistleblower has reportedly alleged the incident was not isolated.
Allen has now asked to urgently meet Secretary for Education Ellen MacGregor-Reid and says the allegations, if substantiated, could undermine public confidence in both the Ministry and the operation of the Official Information Act.
The Ombudsman is also considering whether to launch a broader investigation under the Ombudsmen Act 1975, which could bring independent scrutiny to how information has been recorded and managed within the Ministry.
The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Government’s curriculum reforms. Last week the Waitangi Tribunal found the Crown breached multiple Treaty principles in its curriculum reform process, including through a lack of meaningful engagement and consensus-building with Māori. Education Minister Erica Stanford said she would consider the Tribunal’s findings while continuing with the curriculum programme.
The latest allegations now put another fundamental question on the table — whether New Zealand’s transparency laws have been properly respected during one of the country’s most significant education reforms.
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