Getting started
Your first step is to contact your local Ministry of Education office and ask them to send you the homeschool application information pack and application form.
For people in the Wellington Region the address to contact is: Ministry of Education Central South Regional Office, PO Box 30 177 Lower Hutt 5040 Phone: 04 463 8699 or fax 04 463 8698 For other parts of New Zealand go to the Ministry of Education contact page You must apply for an exemption before your child turns 6, if he or she has never been to school, or before withdrawing him or her from school. The letter you get from the Ministry of Education will remind you that your child must be enrolled at and attending a registered school until an exemption is granted When writing your application remember: a) You are under no legal obligation to adhere to the National Curriculum. You must show your child will be taught as regularly and well as in a registered school. b) You do not need to include a formal and/or specific timetable as part of your application but you do need to show some evidence of regularity and routine. c) Your application should be a carefully considered, full and honest statement of your intentions for the education of your children. You should try to state your home educating goals as fully and clearly as possible however you do not need to write a book. Four or five typed pages should be more than sufficient. d) Keep copies of all correspondence. The Ministry does not acknowledge receipt of your application. Normal processing takes two to three weeks and we suggest a follow up phone call if you have not heard from the Ministry within that sort of timeframe. If you would like assistance with either your exemption application or gathering resources to write you application, you may contact WHEN in the first instance. We are able to provide general advice but we do not provide legal or advocacy services. If we cannot help we may be able to put you in touch with someone else who can assist you. We do hold some copies of successful applications at the library but we strongly recommend you try to sort out your own ideas first as every family has a different style of home educating and it is you who has to walk the talk. Do not become anxious or overly concerned if the Ministry contacts you for further information. This is quite common. Unless the question is very minor we suggest you request that the Ministry put any additional questions to you in writing and that you respond in writing. We are not aware of any cases where committed parents have failed to eventually gain an exemption.