Some parents are so desperate to enroll their children at a high-achieving east Auckland school that they’re prepared to lie and say they live in its zone when they don’t.
Macleans College deputy principal Tina Mair says out-of-zone parents fraudulently enrolling their child at the school is not a new issue.
“We’ve been aware in the past some parents have gone to great lengths to appear to be in-zone applicants living in their regular family home, when they were not,” she told the Times.
She says in recent years the school’s had more individual cases that have warranted investigation.
It’s “surprising and concerning” a few parents have been prepared to falsify legal documents to gain a place at the school for their child, Mair says.
“There are several other cases under review, and we’re aware there are no doubt other cases of enrolment fraud which we have yet to discover.
“Examples include families using an address of convenience. This could be using an address which is not their main family home as claimed.
“It could be the address of a friend or relative. The address provided could be a smaller in-zone home rented or owned, but not lived in by the family who continue to live in their out-of-zone family home.
“Or families providing in-zone address details but rapidly going to live elsewhere and failing to advise us.
“In the worst cases leaving the child behind in a paid boarding situation, or even left to live alone. In these cases we involve outside agencies.”
Mair says Macleans College is already “very full” with 2903 pupils, its largest number ever, and having pupils who aren’t genuinely entitled to enrol at the school increases that number.
“Investigating a case of suspected enrolment fraud can take many hours of time which could be spent elsewhere.
“Looking to the future we plan to spend increased sums on the administration of enrolment.
“In 2024 we were unable to accept out-of-zone applications from children of past pupils or past siblings due to the increased role.
“There are many factors which have resulted in our increased roll and enrolment fraud is not the main cause.”
She says the school’s families are now asked for an increased number of documents on enrolment including a signed statutory declaration.
“This year we’ve asked for continued proof of in-zone residence in the form of power bills.
“That’s something we plan to continue to do in bulk sporadically.
“When we find a case of potential enrolment fraud which warrants further investigation, we always take steps to find out more details and to discuss it with the family concerned.
“In some cases, after a detailed investigation, and where there’s satisfactory evidence a family have not been truthful around their living circumstances, the board of trustees has decided to annul the enrolment in accordance with guidelines provided by the Ministry of Education.”
In all cases where one of the school’s pupils has been annulled because their parents chose to fraudulently submit documentation, it’s “undoubtedly been very distressing” for that pupil, Mair says.
“Regrettably, the student is the person who suffers the most in these cases.
“They’ve been put in a very difficult position by their parents, asked to lie to classmates about their living arrangements, and often having to change schools to the in-zone school where the family actually live.
“We understand local in zone families with children enrolled here are happy we are investigating and taking action on cases of enrolment fraud.
“We believe it is protecting the interests of our students who have enrolled on a genuine basis.
“We’re aware in-zone families are coping with larger mortgages or higher rent as a result of living in the sought-after Macleans zone and are unhappy when others pretend to for enrolment purposes, but actually their main family home is elsewhere.”
Mair says the school follows the guidelines for enrolment that are supplied by the Ministry of Education and its enrolment decisions are always based on those expectations.
“The Ministry of Education has been responsive and supportive in cases where either we or parents have contacted them for advice around enrolment issues.
“We also involve our school police liaison officer for advice on some cases. Knowingly providing false information on a statutory declaration witnessed by a Justice of the Peace is a criminal offence.”
Sean Teddy, the Ministry of Education’s Hautū (Leader) Operations and Integration, says it’s aware a small number of schools have issues with determining the genuineness of applications for in-zone enrolments.
A student is considered to be living in the home zone of a school when – at those times when the school is open for instruction – their usual place of residence is an address within the home zone.
“The onus is on the parent to provide evidence that will enable a school board to judge whether the given address will be the student’s usual place of residence when the school is open for instruction.
“Enrolment occurs on the first day of attendance at the school and a student’s address must be genuinely in zone at that time to have the right to enrol.
“Temporary addresses can be valid, for example when moving between cities or in emergency housing situations.
“However, using temporary addresses specifically to gain entry to a school is not valid.”
Teddy says once enrolled, students have the right to remain enrolled at a school to ensure their continuity of education, even if they move to an out of zone address.
A school board may annul an in-zone enrolment only in specific situations and guidance on determining genuineness of enrolments and annulments is provided to school boards.
“If a family appeals an annulment by a school to the Ministry we then review the case and consult with the family and school before making a decision.
“The Ministry may then direct a school board to re-enrol a student if the student is found to be legitimately enrolled/living in the school zone or agree with the school’s decision to annul the enrolment.”
