Category Archives: .Help and support with MoE Exemptions and ERO Reviews

Needing help for your home schooling journey?

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Craig passed away 30 September 2011.

I have had to think about what I should be doing now. I have three little ones still at home. They are 14, 11 and 6, and their training and home education must come first. Alanson, our grown up son, has moved back home and has taken on many of the responsibilities with the children. Craig and I were involved jointly in the Home Education Foundation and it has been so much a part of our lives for so long now. I don’t want to give it all up. Alanson being at home now will enable me to carry on some of the Home Education Foundation functions like: the website www.hef.org.nz; the email discussion groups-hefnetnz, chednetnz, ccednet, dwha and TEACH-eForum; the books we sell; difficult MoE, ERO and special education issues (which Craig was so good at-I have a lot to learn, but have already had a few cases since Craig died); and a Titus 2 ministry which would include counselling-home education and family/parenting issues and speaking at a limited number of workshops each year.

I cannot take all the phone calls from people starting out like Craig used to. He would get a number each week and he would be on the phone to them for 1-2 hours at a time. This will take up too much of my time as these usually come during the day when I now will want to be with my children. So I will be referring these calls to local support groups. I would like to get a good list on our website of the main contact people in each area to make it easier for new people.

Please check on the Home Schooling Support Group closest to you and they will be more than willing to help you out. Click on the link below and go to “contact us” and you should be able to find a phone number or an email address.

NZ Home Education Support Groups

  • Nationally: For exemption help – If there is no-one in your area to help you, then Cynthia is available   cynthiahancox@actrix.co.nz,  http://www.cynthiahancox.com or http://www.cynthiahancox.com/homeschooling.html

These email discussion groups are also a good place to get help and support:

NZ-r-Email discussion groups

Facebook seems to be the place where people go for a lot of support these days:

Home schooling exemption form now online

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Here are a couple of links to get you started:

https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/
and
https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

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

 

ERO: Homeschooling

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ERO: Homeschooling

Every child in New Zealand has a right to education.

While most New Zealand children are educated in schools, the Government also allows parents to make other choices. Some parents choose to take on the responsibility of educating their children. In order to do this, they will have sought and been granted an exemption from enrolling their children at registered schools. This is commonly referred to as homeschooling or home educating.

In granting this exemption, the Secretary for Education accepts that each child will be taught at least as regularly and well at home as in a registered school. If a child is not being taught as regularly and well as in a registered school the Secretary for Education can revoke the Certificate of Exemption.

ERO carries out reviews when requested by the Secretary for Education, or in other particular circumstances.

For more information please contact ERO.

Education Review Office – Corporate Office
Level 1, 101 Lambton Quay
Box 2799, Wellington
New Zealand

Phone: 0-4-499 2489
Fax: 0-4-499 2482
Email: info@ero.govt.nz

Nationwide contact for home education enquiries – homeschooling NZ

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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:

https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/
and
https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

Contact details:
Craig and Barbara Smith
06 357-4399
email: barbara@hef.org.nz
Greetings all,
There have been a couple of requests lately for people willing to give exemption advice and encouragement.
Just a reminder that this is precisely what we at the Home Education Foundation are here for!
We help with preparing for exemptions and ERO reviews, how to understand and answer the exemption questions, we sit in on ERO Reviews with people, and I’ve even been a witness at a court case involving home education and socialisation. We have tons of material on socialisation, research results in both academic and social areas, ideas on curriculum development and getting into university and links to other information that we send out for free. We have 22 years of experience in teaching our own 8 children aged 28 down to 3 (yes, we’re still at it) and running conferences and speaking in nearly every corner of the country. Barbara just talked a mum who was full of panic through her ERO review preparation, and the mum passed with flying colours! I just wrote a letter to the Hamilton office of the MoE about what I thought was unfair treatment in an exemption application…the mum emailed today to say the exemption just came through!
Being a charitable trust, we do not charge for anything we send out or for our advice, even though most phone calls last between a half hour to a full hour or more. We trust the Lord to move people to make donations as they see fit and to subscribe to Keystone https://hef.org.nz/category/keystone-magazine/ and TEACH Bulletin https://hef.org.nz/category/teach-bulletin/. Although we personally are committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Home Education Foundation is committed to rescuing ANY children out of state schooling institutions and to giving as much help and encouragement as we can to any and all parents and grandparents wanting to have a go at home education.
So don’t hesitate to get people to ring us or send an email. We don’t have an 0800 number but if people ring us on a landline, we can ring them back so we pay for the call since it costs us next to nothing.

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 give us a ring (06) 357-4399 or emailing your phone number and we will ring you (email barbara@hef.org.nz).

It seems complicated at first, but it really isn’t that bad at all. We can talk you through it. All free of charge. That’s why we’re here.

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.

Homeschooling NZ – Help with MoE Exemptions and ERO Reviews

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Please check on the Home Schooling Support Group closest to you and they will be more than willing to help you out. Click on the link below and go to “contact us” and you should be able to find a phone number or an email address.

NZ Home Education Support Groups

To email the person below please remove [at] and put in @ with no gaps.  [at] has been used to avoid spam.

NATIONWIDE:

Barbara Smith, 06 357-4399,  barbara@hef.org.nz

(If you would like to talk to us then either phone us or email us your phone number and we can ring you straight back – we are on a flat rate for tolls so it wont cost us anything.)

SPECIAL NEEDS:

Jill Hanna, hanna@xtra.co.nz

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TRADEME MESSAGE BOARD:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Post.aspx?id=29810245&topic=0&parent_topic=23

EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS:

Check the left hand side bar on this page

If you are available to help others with their exemptions and ERO Reviews please email me barbara@hef.org.nz and I will add you to this list. Thanks

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Also great links to help get you started in Getting an Exemption:

Making an Application for Exemption from Enrolment and Attendance at a School

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

 

A Collection of Exemption Tips and Ideas

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

 

Applying for an Exemption to Educate at Home

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

Truancy and the Home Schooler/Home Educator

Record of Progress and Achievement

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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/

 

Also a couple of links to help with your ERO review:

Preparing for an ERO Review (in an unschooling kind of way)

https://hef.org.nz/2006/preparing-for-an-ero-review-2/

 

Preparing for an ERO Review by Craig Smith

https://hef.org.nz/2008/preparing-for-an-ero-review-by-craig-smith/