Three unknown New Zealand high schools are refusing to enrol students expelled from their prior schools in defiance of legal orders sent by the Ministry of Education.

New reports confirm the Ministry has sent 261 letters to unwilling schools, requiring them to enrol students excluded or expelled from elsewhere.

While 251 schools have accepted the Ministry’s orders, two schools in Auckland and one in Waikato have refused to comply.

Auckland Grammar Headmaster Tim O'Connor says taking in expelled students can potentially open up schools to additional risks.

"The board has an obligation to create a safe environment for the students in its' care, so it becomes a bit of a conflict of interest when the Ministry is then directing a school or board to accept a student who has been deemed unsafe."

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