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Home education in New Zealand is governed by Section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020. Around 10,800 students were registered as home-educated with the Ministry of Education in 2024, and the Ministry pays a supervisory allowance to families who hold an exemption certificate. This guide covers the exemption process, the allowance, curriculum options, and how Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel qualifications connect to New Zealand university entrance.
Yes. Home education is legal under Section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020, which replaced the equivalent provision in the Education Act 1989. Compulsory school attendance applies to children aged 6 to 16. Parents of children in this age range who wish to home educate must apply to the Ministry of Education for a long-term exemption from enrolment.
The legal test is straightforward: the Ministry must be satisfied that the child "is to be taught at least as regularly and well as in a registered school." A designated officer in the Ministry assesses each application. If an application is declined, parents have the right to appeal directly to the Secretary for Education.
Home education is only available to families living in New Zealand. New Zealand citizens, residents, and children with domestic student status can apply. The Home Education Policy Manual confirms that families intending to live overseas must follow the home education laws of their destination country, not New Zealand's.
Compulsory school attendance starts at age 6 in New Zealand. If your child is under 6, you do not need an exemption to keep them home — you simply do not enrol them in school. You can apply for an exemption at any point before they turn 6 so that the certificate is in place when compulsory attendance begins.
An exemption certificate expires when the child turns 16, or earlier if they enrol in a registered school. From age 16, the child is no longer subject to compulsory attendance and can continue learning at home, sit external examinations, or move into tertiary study.
Home educators are not legally required to follow the New Zealand Curriculum, NCEA, or any specific programme. The Ministry expects parents to outline how they will cover the basics (reading, writing and maths) in their exemption application, but families are free to choose any curriculum that meets the "as regularly and well as in a registered school" test. This is why Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel and other international programmes are common choices for home educators in New Zealand.
Reviews are rare. The Education Review Office may review a home education programme if the Ministry has concerns, but only a handful of reviews are conducted each year across thousands of home educating families. The National Council of Home Educators NZ (NCHENZ) is the nationwide umbrella body and a good first point of contact for families navigating the system.
Decide what your child will study. The most common choices for New Zealand home educators are Cambridge International qualifications, Pearson Edexcel International qualifications, the NCEA pathway via Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura), or a structured international programme like CambriLearn's British curriculum or US K-12. You'll need to describe this curriculum in your exemption application.
Download Form 1 from the Ministry of Education website or request it from your regional Ministry office. The application asks for your child's details, your reasons for home educating, an outline of the curriculum or programme you'll follow, a description of how you'll cover reading, writing and maths, and a list of resources and materials. You can submit the form by email or post.
A designated officer in the Ministry assesses your application. If your child is currently enrolled in a school, the Ministry will contact the school to discuss your child's progress as part of the assessment. There is no statutory time limit for a decision, but applications are typically processed within several weeks. If the application is declined, you have the right to appeal to the Secretary for Education.
Once approved, you receive a Certificate of Exemption that covers your child until they turn 16 or enrol in a registered school. You do not need to reapply each year. Each child needs their own exemption — there is no family-wide exemption.
The Ministry sends a declaration form twice a year (around April and October) confirming that you have continued to home educate over the previous six months. Returning the declaration is a legal obligation — failure to do so may trigger an Education Review Office review. The declaration also lets you elect to receive the supervisory allowance.
If you're enrolling with an online school, you need a computer or tablet with reliable internet access. The school provides the timetable, lessons and materials. If you're teaching independently, you'll source textbooks (most international curricula publish recommended reading lists), set up a workspace, and establish a routine that works for your family.
Supervisory allowance. Once your exemption is granted, you can elect to receive the home education supervisory allowance from the Ministry. Current rates are NZ$796 for the first child, $632 for the second, $521 for the third, and $372 for each subsequent child per year. The allowance is paid in two instalments (around May/June and November/December), is not taxed, and has no obligation to be spent on educational materials. The allowance is paused if the family travels outside New Zealand for more than 28 days in a payment period.
Home educators in New Zealand are free to choose any curriculum, provided the programme meets the legal "as regularly and well as in a registered school" standard. Each pathway leads to different qualifications and university routes.
| Curriculum | Qualification | Exam Body | NZ University Admission | International Recognition | Via CambriLearn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Int. | International GCSE, AS, A-Level | Cambridge Assessment | Direct via NZ Tariff (University Entrance) | 160+ countries | Yes — private candidate exams |
| Pearson Edexcel | Int. GCSE, Int. A-Level | Pearson | Recognised by NZ universities (case by case) | 80+ countries | Yes — accredited centre |
| NCEA (via Te Kura) | NCEA Levels 1, 2, 3 | NZQA | Direct via University Entrance | Recognised internationally with effort | No — not currently offered |
| US K-12 | US High School Diploma | Cognia | Recognised (case by case) | US, NCAA approved | Yes — Cognia accredited |
| CAPS | NSC matric | SACAI or IEB | Recognised (case by case) | South Africa direct | Yes — billed in ZAR |
| IEB | NSC matric | IEB | Recognised (case by case) | South Africa direct | Yes — billed in ZAR |
Why Cambridge is the most common international choice in New Zealand. Cambridge Assessment qualifications are formally recognised for University Entrance through the New Zealand Tariff system, administered by Universities New Zealand. The tariff awards points for AS and A-Level grades across approved syllabus groups, and a minimum 120 points (with grades of D or better in three different syllabus groups, plus literacy and numeracy) qualifies a student for entry to any New Zealand university. The Association of Cambridge Schools in New Zealand maintains the current tariff table.
For South African families in New Zealand. Many South African expat families continue with CAPS or IEB to keep the option of returning to South African universities open. Both lead to the National Senior Certificate (NSC) which provides direct admission to South African universities with no exemption needed. CambriLearn delivers CAPS and IEB to families in New Zealand and bills these pathways in ZAR.
For a detailed comparison of how each pathway leads to university admission, see the university pathways guide.
