Level 1, 101 Lambton Quay
PO Box 2799
Wellington 6140
SX10166
T 04 499 2489
F 04 499 2482
www.ero.govt.nz
NZBN 9429041901809
Our Ref: 24 - 234
4 November 2024
Nina Noval
[FYI request #28976 email]
Dear Nina
Re: Official Information Act request regarding data usage and privacy in ERO attendance report
I refer to your fyi.org inquiry to the Education Review Office dated 30 October 2024 requesting
information under the Official Information Act 1982 as follows:
The [Left Behind: How do we get our chronically absent students back to school?] report
notes that chronically absent students are:
1. “Four times as likely to have a recent history of offending,” with 4 percent of chronically
absent students having such a history, compared to less than 1 percent of all students.
Could you clarify how this link was established? Specifically:
•
What data from schools was used to link students to their offending history? •
Which agency provided the “history of offending” information, and what specific
data points did it contain?
•
How were individual students identified and matched across datasets for
attendance and offending history?
•
What measures were in place to ensure students’ privacy in this data linkage? •
Under what authority did the ERO access this data?
2. “Four times as likely to live in social housing,” with 12 percent of chronically absent
students living in social housing, compared to 3 percent of all students. Could you explain
how this data link was determined? Specifically:
•
What data was used to connect attendance information to students' social
housing status?
•
Which agencies were involved in sharing this information? •
What specific data about social housing was provided to ERO?
3. “At age 23, young adults who were chronically absent cost $4,000 more than other young
people,” with particular costs noted in corrections, hospital admissions, and receiving
benefits. Could you specify:
•
What data was used to link student attendance information with hospital
admissions, corrections, and benefit receipt data?
•
What specific data points were shared to determine the cost differences?
Ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. The child — the heart of the matter
•
Which agencies were involved, and what data was exchanged? •
How was privacy maintained in the data-sharing process for these individuals? •
Additionally, were students or their caregivers informed and asked to provide
consent before any of this data was shared across agencies for the purposes of
this report?
We have transferred your request to the Social Investment Agency. The data to which your
request relates was provided in full by them. As such, the information you have requested is not
held by us but is believed to be held by the Social Investment Agency. In these circumstances, we
are required by section 14 of the OIA to transfer your request.
You will hear further from the Social Investment Agency concerning your request.
Yours sincerely,
Governance and Accountability Team
Governance and Accountability
Education Review Office | Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga
National Office | Tari Matua | [email address]
Ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. The child
— the heart of the matter
