Primary and secondary schools
In New Zealand, there is free universal education. It is compulsory for all children aged 6 to 16 to go to school, although most start around their fifth birthday.
Students can stay at school until 19, or 21 for special education students with disabilities.
Choosing a school
Most New Zealand students attend state-funded schools. Every student has the right to enrol at the state school nearest to their home. If the school has too many people applying to be students there, it can set a ‘home zone’.
Students living inside this zone have the right to go to that school. Those living outside the zone can only be enrolled under special circumstances, such as where students have brothers or sisters attending the school or they require access to special programmes such as special education or Maori language.
Families also have the right to visit schools and meet with the principal and staff before deciding to enrol their children as students.
State schools
The Government meets almost all the costs of state schooling, but parents are expected to pay for things like the cost of schoolbooks, stationery, materials for art/trade classes, uniforms and school trips. Fees vary widely.
At primary and intermediate level, state school classes include both boys and girls. Cco-educational and single-gender schooling is available at secondary level.
State schools do not charge fees. However, parents are expected to make donations towards the support of special programmes or services. There are also charges for stationery and uniforms. Meals are not provided.
Snacks and lunches can generally be purchased from the school shop, but many parents prefer to provide a packed lunch.
Integrated schools
The term ‘integrated schools’ generally refers to schools with a religious focus – usually Roman Catholic in denomination – that used to operate privately.
In recent years, these schools have been integrated into the state system. Integrated schools receive the same Government funding for each student as state schools but their buildings and land are privately owned so they charge fees meet their property costs.
Although they follow the state curriculum requirements, these schools have kept their special religious or philosophical character.
A small number of these schools, such as Montessori or Rudolf Steiner schools, are not religiously-based.
Private/ independent schools
Private or independent schools receive only limited government funding and are almost entirely dependent on income derived from student fees.
Each school decides what it will charge. Fees also vary according to levels, with fees in Years 12 and 13 usually significantly higher than those charged in Years 9 and 10.
Fees at primary school also vary according to level, although these are generally much lower than secondary school fees. Private schools have their own independent boards but must meet government standards in order to be registered. They are also subject to the same ERO (Education Review Office) audits as state schools.
Boarding schools
Boarding schools exist mainly at secondary school level in the state, integrated and private sectors. All charge boarding fees.
Correspondence School
The Correspondence School teaches a full range of school-level courses.
Home-based schooling
Home-based schooling must meet the same standards as registered schools, and approval to exempt the student from regular schooling must be obtained from the Ministry of Education.
A small annual grant is available for teaching materials. Home schooling accounts for less than 1% of school enrolments.
Education for children with special needs
Wherever possible, children with special education needs are enrolled with other children in ordinary classes. A range of specialist support services is available.
School management
Each state and state-integrated school is managed by a Board of Trustees. The Board is elected every three years by parents and includes parent and community representatives, the school principal and a staff representative. Secondary school boards must also have a student representative.
The Board is responsible for both setting and meeting the objectives identified in the school’s charter. Management of the school’s finances and general administration is also a Board’s responsibility.
All parents can stand for election as Board trustees. Participation in Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) is also open to all parents.
Attendance
Parents or guardians are legally responsible for making sure children are enrolled at, and regularly attend, school between the ages of six and 16 years.
If a child cannot go to school on a particular day, let the school know by 9:00am. Most schools have a special phone number, or absence line.
Children may be excused from school for things such as medical and dental appointments and for special family reasons. You can also ask for your child be excused from religious or sex education classes.
Uniforms
Most schools require students to wear a uniform unless the school has an optional uniform policy.
School uniforms are sold by most major department stores. Some schools also operate their own uniform shops and sell both new and second-hand items.
Schooling levels
Children start school at Year 1 and move up one class each year to the final Year 13. Years 1 and 2 are often referred to as ‘primmers’ or ‘juniors’ and Years 3 to 6 as ‘standards’. Years 7 and 8 are known as Forms 1 and 2 or in city areas as ‘intermediate’ and Years 9 to 13 as Forms 3 to 7 or ‘high school’. Class sizes are set by the school.
Some junior classes may include children of different ages and year levels in the same classroom. These are called ‘composite’ classes. State schools include boys and girls at primary and intermediate level. Some offer education for just one gender at secondary level.
Primary schools
Many primary schools have waiting lists, so it’s a good idea to pre-enrol your child before their fifth birthday. Children in their seventh and eighth years either continue at primary school or move to a separate intermediate school.
Secondary schools
From age 12 or 13 through to 17 or 18 (Year 9 to Year 13), students attend secondary school – also known as high school, college or grammar. Usually students are grouped in classes, but they have different teachers and classrooms for each subject. It’s a good idea to contact the local secondary school at least six months before your child needs to start there.
Area schools
Also known as composite schools, these usually operate in rural areas and combine primary, intermediate and secondary schooling in one location.
The school day
The school day usually begins about 9:00am and finishes about 3:00 – 3.30pm There is normally a short break in the morning, about an hour for lunch and sometimes a short afternoon break.
School terms/semesters
The school year begins in late January or early February, after a summer holiday of about six weeks, and ends in December. It is divided into four terms with breaks of two to three weeks between them.
Secondary school students have slightly longer holidays than primary school students.
The terms are normally:
Term 1: End of January to mid-April
Term 2: Late April to the beginning of July
Term 3: Mid-July to late September
Term 4: Mid-October to mid-December (or early December for secondary schools).
You can check with your local school for the exact term dates or visit the Ministry of Education website
National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)
New Zealand’s national secondary school qualification is the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).
NCEA takes place at three levels:
- NCEA Level 1 – Usually Year 11. Comparable with overseas qualifications such as the British 'O' Level, the Canadian or United States Grade 10 and, depending on which Australian state, Year 10 Awards, School Certificate, Junior Certificate or Achievement Certificate.
- NCEA Level 2 – Usually Year 12. Comparable with overseas qualifications such as the British GCSE grades A to C and Canadian or United States Grade 11
- NCEA Level 3 – Usually Year 13. Comparable with overseas qualifications such as GCE A Level and the Australian Year 12 Awards.
Under NCEA, subjects are divided into specific skills or pieces of knowledge called standards. Each standard is worth a number of credits, and students achieve NCEA when they have gained enough credits at each level.
There are two types of standards.
- Unit standards are internally assessed by teachers at school.
- Achievement standards may be assessed by teachers at school or through national examinations at the end of the school year. About 60% of the achievement standards are assessed externally and the rest internally.
To gain a National Certificate of Educational Achievement you must earn 80 credits.
At Levels 2 and 3, at least 60 credits must be from the level you’re studying. Students can also study at a mix of levels depending on their interests and strengths.
Students gain university entrance usually on the basis of their NCEA Level 2 results.
New Zealand Scholarship
New Zealand Scholarship is a series of stand-alone examinations for very able students. Scholarship brings formal recognition of achievement for top-level students, and in some cases includes a monetary award.
Students enter external scholarship assessments in addition to those required for NCEA Level 3. To be eligible for the monetary award, students must be either NZ citizens or Permanent Residents.
International students entering the Scholarship examinations are not eligible for monetary awards but can have their Scholarship success acknowledged on their Record of Achievement. Find out more at www.nzqa.govt.nz
Discipline
Teachers are not allowed to physically punish students. They can remove privileges, and give out extra homework or detention. If a child is given detention, you will be told because this will require your child to stay at school for a specified time after the end of the standard school day.
For serious offences, students may be suspended from school for a period of time. If they are over 16, they can be expelled permanently. Expulsion generally occurs when a student’s conduct either sets a dangerous example to other students or threatens their safety. There are formal procedures for suspending or expelling a student.
Homework
Most secondary and primary schools expect students to do homework. Each school has its own rules on the amount and type of homework.
School transport
Parents or guardians are responsible for ensuring that a child can get to school. Each year about 100,000 children use school buses. Students are expected to meet the cost of fares.
If a child has to travel a long distance to school, and there is no public transport or school bus service, financial assistance can be provided. Financial assistance and/or bus and taxi services are also provided for special education students.
Changing schools
If you want your child to change schools, you need to tell the principal of your child’s current school as soon as possible. Most intermediate and secondary schools have open days.
Further information
www.edcentre.govt.nz – a portal to online information about education in New Zealand.
www.ero.govt.nz – the Education Review Office provides quality assessments of schools and pre-schools. They also have some useful reports on their website, including:
www.minedu.govt.nz – the Ministry of Education website offers information on early childhood, primary and secondary education.
www.ncea.govt.nz – here you can get details on the national qualification for senior secondary students.
www.nzqa.govt.nz – the New Zealand Qualifications Authority site offers information on New Zealand qualifications and overseas equivalents.
www.boarding.org.nz – the website of the New Zealand Boarding Schools’ Association
www.isnz.org.nz – here you can get information on 44 independent (private) schools.
www.correspondence.school.nz – correspondence courses at all levels.
www.edusearch.co.nz – information on New Zealand’s education system –
pre-school to adult education.
www.nzapep.co.nz – New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers
www.newzealandeducated.com – information for overseas students wanting to study here.
