Te Kura vs home education in New Zealand: which is right for your whānau?

Children in New Zealand must be enrolled at a registered school from age 6 until they turn 16. Section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020 lets the Ministry of Education exempt a child from that requirement so they can be educated at home.

• Te Kura: your child is enrolled at a registered state school. Te Kura's teachers plan and mark the learning, and you support your child at home.
• Home education: your child holds a certificate of exemption. You choose what and how they learn, and you are responsible for teaching them at least as regularly and well as in a registered school.

Because Te Kura is a school, a child enrolled there full-time is not home educated in the legal sense, even though the learning happens at home.

Te Kura isn't open to everyone on a government-funded basis. To learn with Te Kura, a student must meet the criteria of one of the "gateways" in the Ministry of Education's Te Kura enrolment and dual tuition policy. Te Kura says students generally need to be unable to attend a face-to-face school.

Gateways listed by Te Kura include:

• Geographic isolation or itinerant families, and New Zealand citizens and residents living overseas (with conditions).
• Ministry or Oranga Tamariki referrals, for example students at risk of disengaging from school because of psychological or psycho-social needs, and students with learning support needs where no local service can meet them.
• Young adults aged 16 to 19 who want to study full-time or specific subjects and aren't enrolled full-time at another school.
• Fee-paying gateways, including a per-subject option that Te Kura says is open to home-educated and private school students, and a full programme option for students who don't qualify for a government-funded place.
• Adults (20 and over) and dual enrolment arranged through another school.

Gateways and their conditions are set in the Ministry's policy, which is updated from time to time, so check Te Kura's "Who can enrol?" page for the current list.

• Te Kura: Te Kura says most enrolments are free. You may have to pay fees if you live overseas or don't meet the criteria for a government-funded gateway, such as when a home-educated child under 16 takes individual subjects on a fee-paying basis. Te Kura states there are no fees for young adults aged 16 to 19 who are not attending another school.
• Home education: There's no fee to apply for an exemption. You pay for your own resources, and the Ministry pays a home education supervision allowance twice a year to parents of exempt children.

The supervision allowance is only for children with a home education exemption. If your child is enrolled at Te Kura (or any registered school), the exemption ends and the allowance stops. The Ministry's procedures manual lists enrolment at a registered school as a reason the allowance is not paid.

Te Kura's fee schedule and the allowance rates change, so check both before deciding.

• Te Kura: Teachers set and mark work, give feedback and keep in touch with students online and by other means. Te Kura plans a programme based on the New Zealand Curriculum, and your child is expected to engage with it regularly. Your role is to help them stay organised and motivated.
• Home education: You decide the approach, resources and timetable. Your exemption application describes how you'll teach your child, and you sign declarations twice a year confirming you're still home educating.

Some whānau like Te Kura's structure and the reassurance of a qualified teacher. Others prefer the freedom of home education to follow their child's interests and pace. Neither is better in every case.

Te Kura offers NCEA courses, and students enrolled with Te Kura can work towards NCEA and University Entrance in the same way as students at other schools.

Home-educated teens can also gain NCEA, but NZQA requires them to link with a registered school that has consent to assess. Te Kura is one common route for home-educated teens:

• Under 16: Te Kura says home-educated students with an exemption may be able to enrol in specific subjects as fee-paying students, depending on their circumstances.
• 16 to 19: Te Kura's young adult enrolment form says home-educated students aged 16 or over who enrol in one or two subjects remain entitled to the supervision allowance. Enrolling in three or more subjects counts as full-time study with Te Kura, which ends the exemption.

If you're planning NCEA, talk to Te Kura and the Ministry early about how each option affects your exemption and allowance.

• From home education to Te Kura (full-time): Apply to Te Kura under a gateway you qualify for. Once your child is enrolled full-time, the exemption ends, so let the Ministry know. The Ministry's manual also says a home-educated child referred to Te Kura through a Ministry or Oranga Tamariki gateway loses their exemption.
• From Te Kura to home education: Apply to the Ministry for a home education exemption. Children under 16 must stay enrolled until the exemption is granted, so keep your child enrolled with Te Kura until you have your certificate.
• Part-time study with Te Kura: Taking individual subjects with Te Kura can sit alongside an exemption, within the limits Te Kura and the Ministry set. For fees-free courses, the Ministry's manual says parents must still be responsible for providing, supervising and monitoring the overall learning programme.

In 2026 the Government proposed changes to strengthen oversight of home education, including more ongoing requirements for keeping an exemption. Its regulatory impact statement says the proposals do not affect learners enrolled with Te Kura. Check the Ministry of Education's home education page for what has been passed and when any changes take effect.