Category Archives: Applying for exemption

Earthquake affected families and Truancy

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At the time of the earthquake in Christchurch truancy was frozen.

https://hef.org.nz/post-earthquake-schooling-options/

This week the MoE sent letters out to Schools telling them to begin following up all those who had not returned to school yet. It would seem that this is the beginning of bringing Truany back for earthquake affected families.

Until now we have been advising those who now want to home school their children to just enjoy beginning to home school without applying for an exemption.

The law says that a child must be attending school during the exemption application process.

The MoE is looking at enabling earthquake affected families to get their exemptions while their children are only on a school role and not actually attending school – this will be for a short time only.

We expect to know more about this soon. So if you are earthquake affected and wanting to get an exemption for your children to home school then get your exemption filled out but don’t post it yet because we trust the time will be soon when you can send it in to any MoE office in New Zealand without having to have your children in School.

 

Update:

Truancy is now back. So you will need to either have your children in school, on correspondence school or get and exemption to home educate your children. Unfortunately we were not able to organise it so that you could apply for an exemption while you keep your children at home. The law says that your children must be in school between the ages of 6 and 16 while you apply for your exemption. There are some exceptions so please ring us to see if you qualify for these.  Phone  06 357-4399 or 0800 100 692

For exemption and home schooling advise:

Contact

Canterbury Home Educators

CHEInc@free.net.nz

(03) 322 4824

http://www.che.org.nz

or

Home Education Foundation

craig@hef.org.nz

(06) 357-4399

https://hef.org.nz

 

For a booklet on the Exemption process

https://hef.org.nz/2011/applying-for-an-exemption-to-educate-at-home/

Applying for an Exemption to Educate at Home

Hot off the press

$5.00

 

To order do one of the following:

send email to sales@hef.org.nz with visa number

post cheque or visa number to PO Box 9064, Palmerston North

fax: 06 357-4389

phone: 06 357-4399

Free Call 0800 100 692

Trademe (fees added):  http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=2366144

Sella (No added fees):  http://www.sella.co.nz/store/4ym9qg/home-education-foundation/display-100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applying for an Exemption to Educate at Home

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$7.00

 

For more information view this YouTube video where Craig is promoting this book:

To order do one of the following:

send email to sales@hef.org.nz with visa number

post cheque or visa number to 4 Tawa Street, Palmerston North, 4414

phone: 06 357-4399

Trademe:  http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=2366144

 

Earthquake affected children and truancy

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Please read this  press release:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/post-earthquake-schooling-options/

Truancy is still frozen for Earthquake affected people. This is whether your old school has reopened or not. If your old school has reopened and you want to keep your children at home then please continue to keep them at home. Your children will not be considered truant.

We will advise when truancy is again back in force. At that time you will either have to send your children to a school, or go on Correspondence School or get an exemption to home school your children. At the moment the law says you have to have your child in school while you go through the process of getting an exemption. We are in the process, at the moment, with the MoE to see if they will lift this requirement for earthquake affected children.

We will add more information here as it comes to hand.

Craig’s blog: What does it mean by “Registered School” in the NZ Education Act?

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What does it mean by “Registered School” in the

NZ Education Act?

Because the NZ Education Act says that one who wants to home educate must “satisfy” the Ministry of Education that the child “will be taught at lease as regularly and well as in a registered school,” I always explain to enquirers what it means by “registered school.”

It means any school that exists out there in Kiwiland…all schools are registered, or else the government does not allow them to stay open. That is, we’re not just talking about government or state schools but also about any of those weird and wonderful alternative schools, church schools, integrated schools, Hare Krishna, Hindu, Muslim…you name it.

To illustrate what that meant by way of “as regularly and well as”, I would then describe what I imagined would go on at two “alternative” schools I know of down in Christchurch. Discovery I is a state school and Tamariki is an integrated private school. If Johnny bothered to turn up, a teacher would say, “Oh, Johnny, it’s so good to see you! What would you like to do today?”

Johnny: “Gidday Jim. [No such thing as a respectful “Teacher” or “Sir”…just“Jim”.] What I’d really like to do today is sit in the beanbags and watch videos.”

Jim: “Johnny…there are the bean bags…there are the videos…see you at lunch time.”

One day I was telling this story to a mum who rang for some guidance about the exemption process, and she began to laugh uproariously.

“What’s the story?” I tried to probe, a little bit wary of striking someone who just thought I was telling a whopper and was laughing at me with scorn and derision.

“I attended a school exactly like that!” she declared. “That’s just how they operate!”

“Where was that?” I asked.

“Up in Auckland,” she said.

“That wasn’t Metropolitan College, was it?”

“Yes, it was!” she replied. “How on earth did you know?”

Well, I felt doubly justified. I’d heard plenty about all three of these schools, and now here was a graduate of one of them telling me I was describing them faithfully.

Metropolitan College failed its ERO reviews eight years in a row. It was finally closed down. So when the ERO would fail a home educator, with maybe 4 children, and tell them they had to send them to school, why is it they never told Metropolitan College, with dozens of students, to close down until after most of those students had spent up to four years in the place? Shouldn’t they let home educators fail their ERO reviews for an equitable eight years running…you know, to be fair and all that.

Actually, this mum went on to say that she never saw a more accomplished group of people than her fellow Metropolitan College graduates: yes, they were all non-conformists but went on to be very successful in businesses, performing arts and entrepreneurial enterprises. Non-conformity was a value of Metropolitan, just as it is a value of all home educators (whether they consciously think so or not). It is (to a large degree) this crushing conformity which is unrelentingly imposed upon conventionally schooled children that causes me to plead with parents to rescue their children from these places of institutionalised child abuse, otherwise known as public schools.

Applying for an Exemption to Home School in New Zealand

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Applying for an Exemption to Home School

in New Zealand

Here are two very helpful  links


The first is a cut down version of the exemption application, showing you exactly which comments the Ministry of Education (MoE) expects you to reply to:

https://hef.org.nz/2010/making-an-application-for-exemption-from-enrolment-and-attendance-at-a-school/

The second is a lengthy letter giving all kinds of tips on how to answer the comments:

https://hef.org.nz/2010/a-collection-of-exemption-tips-and-ideas/

I’d suggest reading those two, having a go at answering the questions, then contacting some-one on this list: https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

It seems complicated at first, but it really isn’t that bad at all.

ALSO:

Applying for an Exemption to Educate at Home now an ebook:

https://hef.org.nz/2012/applying-for-an-exemption-to-educate-at-home-now-an-ebook/

Websites and blogs:

If you have a website or blog then please feel free to repost this on your website or blog and/or to link to these pages on your website or blog.

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Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading/