Home Education

§ School is legal in New Zealand from six to 16 years old.

§ You can educate your own children. Apply for an Exemption -
   1. before your child turns 6 years old or
   2. before your child leaves a registered school.

§ You need to show that your child ‘will be taught as regularly and as well’ as in a registered school - s.21 of the Education Act 1989.

§ Application material is available from the Ministry of Education. Send in your application at least three weeks before your child’s 6th birthday or before you take them out of school.

§ Supervisory Allowance payout (in two instalments) = $743 first child, $632 for the second, $521 for the third, and $372 for each child after that.

Why Home Educate?

  • to build a better family life
  • to promote your own worldview
  • to cater for special needs eg learning disabled, gifted
  • emotional or health reasons
  • positive alternative to bullying, peer pressure, and negativity of schools
  • safety issues
  • logistics—distance, travelling

How do you do it?

  • live life utilising teaching moments
  • with a set curriculum eg ACE, FIAR, KONOS, Abeka, Charlotte Mason, computer-based …
  • without a set curriculum

    • How do you cope with teaching your children?

    • It’s a learning process!
    • With patience and flexibility
    • Choose a simplified lifestyle
    • Make spontaneous use of opportunities as they arise
    • Take a break with friends - with or without the children
    • Join THEN Inc. -  support group - only $20 pa for regular newsletters, access to SWIMSAFE classes, web group, field trips, and plenty of support and information.

    ** Want to talk this through with a current home educator?
    Ring scroll down to Exemption helpers or write
    THENmail@gmail.com