All children aged six to 16 in New Zealand must attend school. Most children start school when they turn five.

Your child can start school (kura) between the ages of five and six. All children must be enrolled at school by their sixth birthday. Once your child starts school, they must attend school every day.

There are 13 years in the New Zealand school system. Schooling begins at primary school – the first year at primary school is referred to as ‘Year 1’. Primary school covers years 1 to 8 if it is a ‘full’ primary school, or years 1 to 6 if it is a ‘contributing’ primary school. If your child enrols in a contributing primary school, they will attend an intermediate school to complete years 7 and 8.

After finishing primary or intermediate school, your child will attend secondary school (also called ‘college’ or ‘high school’) to complete their final school years (years 9 to 13). They may leave secondary school before reaching Year 13, but not until their 16th birthday.

Find out more and what other options are available on the Ministry of Education website.

Information about education for parents and careers, please follow this link:

https://parents.education.govt.nz/?utm_source=newzealandnow.govt.nz

Great atmosphere, great facilities, great opportunities

School sizes in New Zealand can vary. Most schools have between one hundred and two thousand students.

New Zealand school students enjoy focused, personal attention from teachers. Learning involves a balance of practical and theoretical learning. Students are encouraged to think creatively, independently and analytically.

New Zealand schools are well equipped with computers, internet and other technology. They also have lots of room for outdoor play and sport. Schools usually have their own playing fields and sometimes a swimming pool. Cultural activities are well catered for too.

Teachers support many different activities out of school hours, for example coaching sports teams, leading drama clubs and school music groups.

School students also get opportunities for educational trips that allow them to explore New Zealand’s natural surroundings and learn about our plants and animals. They get the opportunity to challenge themselves with outdoor activities they might otherwise never experience.

Types of school

There are three types of school in New Zealand:

• State schools (schools owned and funded by the government)
• State integrated schools (schools with a special character), and
• Private schools (schools that charge set fees for a term or year).

State schools

Most New Zealand children attend state schools (also known as ‘public schools’).

State schools are funded by the government and the education is free for domestic students up to 19 years of age. However, parents usually need to pay for things like school uniforms, stationery, exam fees, and some course-related costs.

You may also be asked to pay for some learning experiences outside the classroom, like school trips, or for sports events and other activities that are not part of the school curriculum. If the event is part of the core education curriculum, your child has a right to take part even if you do not pay the additional cost. If it is not part of the core curriculum, your child can be excluded if you do not pay the cost.

Your child can attend school as a domestic student if they are a New Zealand resident, a permanent resident or a citizen (includes Tokelauans, Cook Islanders and Niueans), or if they hold a student visa based on your temporary work visa.

If your child does not fit any of these conditions, check to see if they need a visa.

Students who are not eligible to enrol as domestic students may be able to enrol as international students.

Eligibility to enrol in NZ schools

State integrated schools

Just over 10% of students are enrolled in State integrated schools.

State integrated schools are schools with a “special character”. This means they may be run by a particular religious faith, eg Catholic, or use specialist education methods, like Steiner or Montessori.

Education in state integrated schools is also funded by the government, but they usually charge compulsory fees (also known as ‘attendance dues’) to help maintain their facilities. The amount is typically around NZ$1,500 a year.

Private schools

Just under 5% of children attend private schools.

Some private schools take both boys and girls (known as co-educational or “co-ed” schools). Others are single sex schools for either boys or girls. Some private schools have boarding facilities so students can live there during the term.

Private schools are not government funded – they charge set fees by the school term or year. The amount is typically around NZ$20,000 a year. Financial assistance may be available.

The school day and holidays

The school day usually starts at 9:00am and ends at 3 or 3:30pm.

The school year starts in January. There are four terms in a year, with two-week breaks between them and a six-week summer break at the end of the year.

• Term 1: Late January to early April (Two week break)
• Term 2: May to early July (Two week break)
• Term 3: Late July to late September (Two week break)
• Term 4: Mid-October to mid-December (Six week summer holiday)

For exact dates, check the Ministry of Education website.

Enrolling in New Zealand schools

To enrol your child at a New Zealand school, contact the school directly to find out their enrolment process and get their enrolment forms. You may need to provide a school with evidence of your child’s visa status.

Children starting school as new entrants

Most children in New Zealand start primary school on their fifth birthday. All children must be enrolled by the age of six. Children starting school for the first time are called ‘new entrants’.

Some schools let new entrants start school at any time throughout the school year, either on their fifth birthday or on another date that suits the family.

Other schools use a system called ‘Cohort entry’, meaning children start school in groups at the beginning of each school term. You still have the option of not starting your child in school until their sixth birthday, regardless of whether or not the school they enrol in uses cohort entry.

You will need to find out which system your child’s school uses.

Which school year will your child be enrolled in?

When your child starts primary school they will be enrolled in either Year 0 or Year 1, depending on which half of the year they start in. If your child starts school in the first half of the calendar year, they will start in Year 1. If they start school in the second half of the calendar year, they will start in Year 0 and the following year will be in Year 1.

The general practice is that children starting in term 1 are definitely in Year 1, and those who start in term 3 are definitely in Year 0. Each school has their own policy ‑ some schools state a specific cut-off date while other schools work with the child’s parents to decide. If your child is enrolling mid-year, it is best to contact the school they will be attending to talk about what year they should be placed in.

For more information, check the Ministry of Education website.

Children with previous schooling

If your child is starting school as a newcomer to New Zealand and has already had some schooling, you can enrol your child in school at any time of the year.

Which school year will your child be enrolled in?

Your child will automatically be placed in the same school year as other children of the same age. For example, if your child is 10 years old, they will probably be placed in year 5 or 6 with other 10 year olds.

If your child is secondary school age (around 12 or 13 years old), which school year they are placed in also depends on giving them time to complete their National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) qualifications.

Discipline in schools

Your child will be made to feel comfortable and safe at school in New Zealand. It is illegal in New Zealand for anyone to use physical force to discipline a child. A parent may only use force to prevent a child from harm. A teacher may not use force in any situation so physical discipline of children, such as smacking, caning, strapping, is not allowed. School punishments usually involve extra homework or staying late after school to do tasks while supervised by a teacher.

One of the regional Community Law services has an excellent publication about the rights of children and what schools can do in terms of disciplining children.

In New Zealand tertiary education covers all education after secondary school, so it includes both higher education and vocational training.

Education at a tertiary level is widely available in New Zealand. There are providers in each of the main centres and many satellite campuses in smaller areas.

Almost 15% of adults were taking part in some kind of study at the time of the last census, according to figures released by the Statistics Department in 2015. Nearly four out of five New Zealanders now have formal qualifications.

Education is a lifelong habit for many New Zealanders and retraining later in life or just studying for personal interest is common. The student population includes people from age 15 right up to 65+.

Distance learning

Online and flexible learning options can increase the range of courses available

Check our Study in NZ section to find out more about:

• where and what you can study
• domestic and international fees
• the quality and international recognition of our qualifications
• what daily life as a student is like in New Zealand.

See the regional Education pages for a list of tertiary institutions.

 

Fees and associated costs

New Zealand resident visa holders are classified as domestic students in New Zealand so only pay local fees for tertiary education.

New Zealand citizens are eligible to apply for Student Loans, the Student Allowance and the Fees Free policy when they begin studying. However, New Zealand residents need to have lived in New Zealand for at least three years before they are eligible.​

Training

New Zealand offers lots of options to train for trades and other occupations.

You can often do vocational training (training for a particular trade or type of job) while you are working, perhaps as part of an apprenticeship. Vocational training is also available at many secondary schools, alongside core academic subjects.

Training qualifications are developed and managed by industry groups called Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). There are over 30 of them in New Zealand, covering a large range of industries including service, manufacturing, primary industries (like agriculture), and trades.

The Careers NZ website has an excellent summary of the workplace training and apprenticeship opportunities available in New Zealand. It can also suggest which ITO you should contact if you are looking at doing workplace training or getting a New Zealand Apprenticeship.

 

New Zealand Apprenticeships

In New Zealand, all apprentice training comes under a programme called New Zealand Apprenticeships. It approves all apprenticeships and helps maintain standards. The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) website has more information on the programme.

The TEC also has a register of apprenticeships you can use to find out what apprenticeships are available and which ITO you should contact.

For more information, please follow this link: https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/