By: Lis

Lis — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:08:07 +0000

I have been home schooling for nearly 8 years now. The last 3 with my husband having prolonged surgeries and recovery time that have meant we are on an Invalids Benefit. As soon as my youngest turned 6, I got hit with the ‘register as a job seeker letter’.
Once my sons exemption came through from the MOE, I took a copy to the local WINZ office and it was passed on to our case worker, to add to the copies they already had for our daughters.
The gist of the responce was, while our eldest is at home in our care, (she is high functioning Aspergers, academically bright and averages in the mid 90% in all her subjects) I may continue to home school, but should she cease being schooled or leave our care, I am no longer exempt and would be required to work.
My husband and I felt this responce totally neglected to recognise our rights (call it religious freedom if you want) to home school all three of our children, a desicion based on more than just one childs emotional wellbeing.
My understanding is that WINZ have no authority to overide an exemption and force the home school ‘teacher’ out to work, Even if both parents names are on the exemption, a sign of unity in the desicion, it gives WINZ no authority to play ‘eeny, meeny, miney, mo….’ as to who stays and who goes. Would a state school parent accept that their child spent 1/2 its day in the classroom without its teacher, as she was told to be employed for 3 hours a day elsewhere?
Why, as a home schooling parent, should we be pressured to feel that what we are doing is purely a means of escaping the discipline of paid employment? As any home schooling parent knows, it is a very full and often demanding day. It is not a task to be taken lightly.
My husband would like nothing more than finish re-training (he is no longer physically able to work in his previous employment), and be working and able to financially provide for us.
If next year I yet again receive ‘the’ letter, I might just take all three children to the appointment, plus all their previous years folders of written work, the years curriculum outlines, and daily records of progress, tests and completed work. I have come to this conclusion as so many are quick to say, ‘I could never do it!’, but do they really know what the ‘it’ we do, is?

By: Kiwi dad of 2

Kiwi dad of 2 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:19:32 +0000

Home Schooling WINZ and Sickness Benefit in NZ.
We have received a letter saying that my wife – the teacher of our 2 children – needs to register as a job seeker? In a knee jerk reaction, my wife has found 2 days a week work. (Equating to $4.28 hr in the hand after WINZ deductions)
As I’m on a sickness benefit and still have no work, not through lack of trying, will try to take on the role of teacher. Winz have been advised every year ‘we home school’ you would think that was enough, my wife still gets letters and still we have to attend meetings to validate this.
Who else is in this situation?

By: Kiwi Polemicist

Kiwi Polemicist — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:41:58 +0000

Home schooling is specifically mentioned in regard to the DPB: see my comment at http://nchenz.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/national-has-dropped-proposed-changes-to-dpb-work-rules/#comment-14

Comments on: Home Schooling: WINZ & DPB in New Zealand

By: Lis

By: Kiwi dad of 2

By: Kiwi Polemicist