Making a complaint to an outside organisation
Note that many of these organisations will only look at complaints if you have tried to resolve the issue through the school but are unhappy with the outcome. If you haven’t talked to your school first, they’re likely to send it back to you (unless you’ve got a good reason why you can’t talk to the school, like a safety concern).
Many will also not respond to anonymous complaints.
Office of the Ombudsmen
Complaints about decisions by boards of trustees and official information complaints
The Ombudsman can investigate complaints about decisions made by your board of trustees. If the Ombudsman decides the board acted unfairly, it can make a recommendation to the school. The Ombudsman can’t make the school accept its recommendation, but most are accepted.
This is also who you can complain to if a school denies your request for official information.
Education Review Office (ERO)
Complaints about the running of the school
ERO reviews the running of each school about once every three years. Generally, ERO doesn’t deal with individual complaints. However, if several parents make similar complaints, ERO will make a note and look at the issue when they next visit. In extreme cases, they can bring the next review forward or organise a special review.
All complaints are noted, and could affect the school’s ERO report, which is a public record.
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If your problem involves |
Who can help |
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A serious issue with a teacher |
Education Council |
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The curriculum or teaching and learning |
Ministry of Education or the Education Review Office |
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Safety of school equipment or school buildings |
Ministry of Education or the Education Review Office |
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Decisions of the board of trustees |
Office of the Ombudsmen |
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Privacy complaints and breaches |
Privacy Commissioner |
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Official information complaints |
Office of the Ombudsmen |
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Counsellor issues |
New Zealand Association of Counsellors |
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Discrimination |
Human Rights Commissioner |
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Legal issues affecting children and young people under 25 |
YouthLaw |
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Education law issues (like the ones in this book) |
Student Rights Service |
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General issues concerning the welfare of children and young people |
Children’s Commissioner |
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Safety or protection or children and young people |
Child, Youth and Family |
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Physical or sexual harm at school |
New Zealand Police |