New Zealand Education

New Zealand Education - In New Zealand the term early childhood education refers to education and care for young children from 0 to 6 years of age. A wide range of early childhood services are available to facilitate their learning.

Primary and Secondary Education is compulsory for students between the ages of 6 and 16, however most students start at age 5 and remain in school for the full 13 years.

Primary Schools are the first level of compulsory schooling. They can be State, private (or independent) or integrated schools catering for children from 5 years of age (Year 1) to the end of Year 8.

Secondary education covers Years 9 to 13, (during which students are generally aged 13 to 17). Most secondary students in New Zealand attend Government-funded schools.

Special education services are available for children with disabilities, learning or behavioural difficulties who need additional resources to those usually provided in regular education settings.

All State and Integrated primary and secondary schools in New Zealand are governed by a Board of Trustees. Parent and community volunteers are elected to the Boards and are joined by the Principal, a staff representative and at secondary level a student representative.

While the Board of Trustees and the Principals are responsible for the day to day running of the school, they are reliant on other agencies to effectively run the school. These include the Ministry of Education, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, the Education Review Office, the New Zealand Teachers Council and other services providers. The agencies are then responsible to the Minister of Education or the Minister Responsible for the Education review Office and finally to Parliament.

The Ministry of Education has established a framework of guidelines, requirements and funding arrangements for schools leaving individual schools responsible for the day to day running and management of the school.

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) was progressively implemented as the national senior secondary school qualification.

If you and your family have entered New Zealand under a Work to Residency programme your child is considered a domestic student and not subject to the same academic entry requirements or the higher fees.

An International Student is classed as any person entering New Zealand on a Visitors permit or Study permit with the intention of studying in a New Zealand educational facility.

To be eligible to study in New Zealand, there are a number of conditions International Students need to meet before coming and during their stay.

Types of Schools:

State schools are co-educational (teaching boys and girls) at primary and intermediate level.

Private (or Independent) schools have their own independent boards, charge fees, but have to meet certain requirements to be registered.

Integrated schools are private schools that were integrated into the State system under the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act.

Boarding schools can be either independent or part of a State-funded school. Both systems charge boarding fees.

There are differences concerning school uniform conventions at different types of New Zealand schools. One distinctive feature of New Zealand school uniforms is that at most State schools only the secondary students wear the uniform.

The Ministry of Education requires schools to be open for a minimum number of half days each year with schools to observe the same term dates. There is limited flexibility to allow for anniversary holidays and teacher only days. Your child will attend four 10 to 11 week terms with a two week break between each term during the year and a six week break over summer.

Some schools have implemented a home zone requirement (enrolment scheme) to ensure all children living in that area have a right to enrol at the school.

The Ministry of Education uses a decile rating system for school funding purposes. Each decile contains approximately 10% of schools. Schools in decile one have the highest proportion of students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Schools in decile ten have the lowest proportions of these students.

For more information you can Purchase a Guide to New Zealand Education.