39605 (2024). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education

39605 (2024). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education: In response to Reply 38906 and 38912, how, if at all, is the Ministry of Education ensuring the wellbeing and sufficient education of the 516 home-educating families that had not returned a Statutory Declaration for the 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2023 period and have not been contacted?

Hon Erica Stanford: A statutory declaration is for home educating families who wish to continue to receive the supervision allowance. However, there is no legal requirement to return the declaration to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry). I am advised by the Ministry that the 516 home-educating families (relating to 718 children) who did not return a statutory declaration for the July to December 2023 period were issued an exemption because their application met the statutory test set out in Section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020. There is no focus on wellbeing in issuing an exemption under Section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The statutory test relates to the child being taught as regularly and as well as in a registered school. If Ministry staff have any child safety or wellbeing concerns about a home educated child, then these will be referred to Oranga Tamariki and/or the NZ Police in line with the Ministry’s Child Protection Policy. This is also my response to written parliamentary question 39608 (2024).