What Is the Criteria for Homeschooling in NZ? The Full Legal Requirements

New Zealand has about 11,010 homeschooled students from roughly 6,500 families — a number that has more than doubled since 2017. Despite that growth, the legal process for becoming a home educator is still not widely understood, and Ministry of Education guidance can be opaque about what the actual criteria are. Here is the full picture.

The Legal Basis

Compulsory education in New Zealand is governed by the Education and Training Act 2020. Under that Act, children aged 6–16 are required to be enrolled at a registered school, unless they hold an exemption from the Secretary for Education.

Section 38 of the Act provides for this exemption. The parent or guardian applies to the Secretary for Education (processed through the Ministry of Education regional office), stating that the child will be "taught at least as regularly and as well as in a registered school."

That phrase — "at least as regularly and as well" — is the entire legal standard. There is no prescribed curriculum, no required textbooks, no mandatory subjects, no minimum hours. The Act delegates to parents the judgment about what constitutes a comparable education, subject to the MOE's approval of the exemption application.

Who Can Apply

Any parent or legal guardian of a compulsory school-age child (6–16) can apply for an exemption. You do not need:

• A teaching qualification
• A specific curriculum plan
• Approval from your local school

You do need:

• A completed exemption application (submitted to the Ministry of Education)
• A description of how you will educate the child
• Evidence that you are capable of providing the education you describe

In practice, the MOE assesses applications by reviewing the written application and, in some cases, requesting additional information or a home visit (though home visits are the exception, not the norm, and are typically only triggered if the application raises concerns).

What the Application Must Include

The MOE exemption application form asks for:

1. Details of the child: name, date of birth, the school they are currently enrolled at (if applicable)
2. Description of the proposed education: what subjects or learning areas you will cover, how you will teach them, and what resources you plan to use
3. Daily schedule or approach: a rough indication of how learning time will be structured (this does not need to be a rigid timetable — flexible, child-led schedules are accepted)
4. Parent's qualifications and background: any relevant experience or qualifications that support your ability to provide the education
5. How you will assess progress: not a formal exam system, but some indication that you will monitor and respond to the child's learning

The key is that the application is persuasive and specific enough that a reviewer can see a plausible educational programme. Vague applications ("we will cover all subjects") are more likely to result in requests for further information.

The "At Least As Regularly and As Well" Standard

This is deliberately not prescriptive, and the MOE has not published a detailed rubric for what it means. What is clear from practice:

"As regularly" means roughly consistent engagement with learning — not necessarily set hours per day, but a pattern of ongoing education rather than months of inactivity. Most families interpret this as 4–6 hours of intentional learning activity per day, though self-directed families may structure this very differently.

"As well" means the child is developing knowledge, skills, and capabilities that are broadly comparable to what a school-enrolled child of the same age would be developing. This does not mean identical — home education can go deeper in some areas, lighter in others, and take entirely different approaches — but a 10-year-old spending three years on only cooking and music with no exposure to reading, writing, or numeracy would not satisfy this standard.

There is no external test. No inspector comes annually to assess the child. The MOE does not monitor ongoing compliance except in cases where concerns are raised (usually by mandatory reporters).

The Government Allowance

Parents who hold an MOE home education exemption are entitled to a government allowance to support the cost of education. The rate is approximately $743 per year for the first home-educated child and $632 for each additional child (2024 rates). This is paid directly to the parent.

This allowance is small relative to the actual cost of a full homeschool programme, but it is a meaningful offset. Many families use it for curriculum materials, online subscriptions, or co-op fees.

What You Must Provide vs What Is Optional

Required (implicitly, under the exemption standard):

• Literacy: reading and writing at age-appropriate levels
• Numeracy: mathematical reasoning at age-appropriate levels
• Broad educational engagement: evidence of learning across more than one or two narrow areas

Not required:

• A specific curriculum (any approach — Charlotte Mason, Classical, unschooling, structured, eclectic — is acceptable)
• Formal exams or grades
• A school-like timetable
• Approval of your curriculum by the MOE
• Annual reporting (the exemption does not come with a reporting obligation)

Cannot do under the exemption:

• Enrol your child at Te Kura for three or more full courses without triggering a review of your exemption status (Te Kura enrolment at that volume implies the parent is no longer the primary educator)
• Refuse to cooperate with any MOE inquiry into the child's welfare

When Exemptions Are Declined

Most straightforward applications are approved. Declines typically involve:

• Applications that describe such a minimal programme that it cannot plausibly be "as well" as school
• Situations where there are concurrent welfare concerns about the child
• Applications where the stated plan is clearly beyond the parent's capability (e.g., claiming to teach advanced chemistry with no relevant background and no resources)

If your application is declined, you can reapply with a revised and more detailed programme description, or appeal through the MOE process.

Transitioning Back to School

The exemption continues until revoked. A parent can revoke it at any time by enrolling the child at a registered school. There is no mandatory waiting period, no re-entry exam for the child, and no penalty for returning to school.

Most schools manage the transition pragmatically — they do an informal assessment of where the child is and place them accordingly, which may not align exactly with their age-group year level.

What Happens at 16

The compulsory schooling age in NZ is 6–16. Once a child turns 16, they are no longer required to be in school or hold an exemption. The exemption expires automatically. The family can continue home educating voluntarily, or the young person can enrol at school, Te Kura, a tertiary provider, or pursue other pathways.

This is the age at which the question of NCEA, university entrance, and qualification planning becomes most pressing. If a home-educated teenager wants to pursue NCEA, they need a Link School or Te Kura enrolment — which is available free for 16–19 year olds via the Young Adult gateway.

The Full Pathway Picture

Understanding the exemption criteria is the first step. The harder question — especially for families thinking about secondary education and beyond — is how to structure a home education programme that prepares a student for NCEA, alternative qualifications, or university entry through Special Admission or Discretionary Entrance.

The New Zealand University Admissions Framework covers both ends of that pipeline: what the exemption allows and what the university entry requirements demand, so you can design a programme that serves both.

See more New Zealand homeschool guides →