Education and Schools in New Zealand
The quality of education in New Zealand is ranked among the best in the world, and has been rated highly by both the UN Human Development Index and the Programme for International Student Assessment. State education in New Zealand is fully-funded by the government, while private schools are given a 25 percent state subsidy. Expats moving to New Zealand with kids will have no difficulty finding a good quality school for their children, and cities such as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch have a broad range to choose from.
Some primary and secondary schools ask for a voluntary donation from parents, ranging from NZ$40 to $800 per child. School costs, such as uniforms, sporting equipment, field trips and stationary, generally range from NZ$500 to NZ$1000 per year. New Zealand’s tertiary education is only partially subsidised by the government. Pre-school tuition is approximately NZ$200 per week, and private schools tuition is between NZ$4000 and NZ$14000 annually.
New Zealand has a three-tiered approach to education, with primary school, secondary school and tertiary institutions. Education is compulsory up to the age of 16 years, and parents who wish to home-school their children need to obtain an exemption from enrolment at a regular school from the Secretary of Education. New Zealand follows a southern hemisphere calendar, meaning the school year begins in January and ends in December. There are four terms each year, and the longest holiday periods are in July and December.
