Welcome to the homepage for home educators in Wellington, New Zealand
The Wellington Home Education Network supports approximately 120 home educating families in the Wellington Region. We welcome members who are already home educating as well as those who wish to know more about home education. We provide a communication network, a resource library and organise gatherings, workshops and outings for home educators to meet and learn together. We update the site as regularly as we are able so please come back often. As the site is a work in progress please contact us if you don't find what you are looking for as it may be we just have not had time to put the information up yet.
What is home education?
Home education is a term used to describe parents taking responsibility for their children's education by educating them otherwise than at a public or private school. In reality much of our learning doesn't happen at home but out in the wider world. We have used the term home education rather than homeschooling because most of what we do does not look like school.
Home Education has always been legal in New Zealand but parents must seek an exemption from the compulsory attendance law set out in section 20 of the Education Act. To find out more about the exemption process see our getting started pages.
Home education is characterised by considerable variety in content and style. Some parents commit themselves to home education from before their children are born, others drift into it because they don't feel their child is ready for school and still others consider it if their children have lost enthusiasm for learning or are experiencing other difficulties at school.
The reasons for home educating are as many and varied as the families who home educate but almost all home educators will cite the following advantages of home education. It allows parents and children to exercise control over content, timing, methods and personnel. It encourages autonomy and promotes individuality and creativity. It also allows time for children to discover and pursue their true interests. There are a wide range of home educating methods ranging from school-at-home through to autonomous child led learning. The links on the right will direct you to materials about home education generally and some of the various methods which families use.
