26 November 2024
Ref: 2024013
Nina Noval
By email
: [FYI request #28976 email]
Tēnā koe Nina
Thank you for your Official Information Act (OIA) request received on 4 November 2024. You requested:
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?
· 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?
Social Investment Agency | Toi Hau Tāngata
Level 3, 117 Lambton Quay, Wel ington 6011 | PO Box 639 Wel ington 6140 |
sia.govt.nz
We have decided to extend the due date of your request under section 15A(1)(b) of the OIA because the
consultations necessary to make a decision on the request are such that a proper response to the request
cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit.
We wil respond to you no later than 24 December 2024.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel free to contact
Kirsty Anderson at
[email address].
Nāku iti noa, nā
Manager of the Office of the Chief Executive
Social Investment Agency | Toi Hau Tāngata
Level 3, 117 Lambton Quay, Wel ington 6011 | PO Box 639 Wel ington 6140 |
sia.govt.nz
