Education

There are many different options for early childhood education (link to external website, new window), including kōhanga reo (immersion Māori language centres), kindergartens, education and care centres and in-home care, as well as others. Some services can take care of your children while they are babies, while other centres look after children once they are two years old or older.

Some services may be very popular and have waiting lists. If you know which service you would like your children to attend, it is a good idea to enrol early.

The costs of early childhood education or kōhanga reo vary because they are set by the organisation offering the service. When your child is three, four or five years old, they can get a subsidy to attend an early childhood centre for 20 hours per week for free. Check with the early childhood centre you choose for your child to see if it offers the 20 hours free early childhood education.

The Ministry of Education (link to external website, new window) has more information about early childhood services available for parents.

State schools

State schools are run and funded by the New Zealand government, and the education they provide must follow the New Zealand Curriculum (link to external website, new window). The different types of state primary schools, intermediate schools and secondary schools (link to external website, new window) include options for different languages and cultures, life stages, values and religious beliefs.

Types of state school include Te Kura Kaupapa Māori, Te Kura (link to external website, new window) (formerly The Correspondence School), regional health schools (link to external website, new window), special schools (link to external website, new window) and Teen Parent Units.

Private schools

Private (or independent) schools charge fees, but also receive some funding from the government. They are governed by their own independent boards and must meet certain standards to be registered with the Ministry of Education. They don’t have to follow the New Zealand Curriculum but must follow a learning programme of at least the same quality.

State-integrated schools

State-integrated schools used to be private but are now part of the state system. They teach the New Zealand Curriculum but keep their own special character (usually a philosophical or religious belief). They usually charge compulsory fees to attend.

Home education

New Zealand parents are also able to home-school their children, provided they are granted an exemption by the Ministry of Education (link to external website, new window).

Boarding school

Boarding schools are either independent or part of a state-funded school. They charge boarding fees and students usually live at the school all week and may come home at weekends and during school holidays

There is a section on the Ministry of Education website for parents to find out more information (link to external website, new window) about the different types of primary, intermediate and secondary school. Find a school or early childhood service here (link to external website, new window).

Secondary schools deliver the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) (link to external website, new window). This secondary school qualification is usually assessed in the last three years of school, from year 11 to 13.

Useful information about NCEA for international students is available on the NZQA website (link to external website, new window).

School enrolment zones (link to external website, new window) give children who live in the school area (the zone) a guarantee that they can go to their local school. They also help stop schools from getting overcrowded.

The New Zealand school year is divided into four terms. Students have a six-week summer holiday and three two-week breaks between each of the four terms. For dates, visit the Ministry of Education website (link to external website, new window).

Education is free in New Zealand state schools and kura, but you should be prepared to pay for school uniforms, stationery supplies and extra activities. Some state-integrated schools also charge fees, as do private schools. It is recommended to check all costs before you enrol. Find out more about school fees (link to external website, new window).

What we want our children to know and be able to do by the time they leave school is set out in the National Curriculum, containing the New Zealand Curriculum (link to external website, new window) and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (link to external website, new window). The curriculums are designed for young people to develop the skills they need for study, work, and life-long learning.

Each state school and state-integrated school has elections to form a school board (link to external website, new window) from among the school’s parents, caregivers and community. The board is responsible for governing the school and setting its direction, including curriculum, staff, property, health and safety, finance and administration. The board, which also contains school staff members, makes decisions that the principal and teachers then put in practice.