What does the Ministry of Education look for in a home education application?
Last updated: October 2026
The legal test, unpacked
The phrase “as regularly and as well” is deliberately flexible. MoE is not comparing your home to a classroom. They are looking for:
- TaughtWhat you plan to teach, not what your child has already learned.
- RegularlySome committed routine. Not school hours, just evidence that learning happens consistently.
- WellEvidence of planning and curriculum balance. Know your approach and show it clearly.
- SatisfyThe officer has to be satisfied, and the Act doesn't define it. That discretion is one reason outcomes vary by region.
Different MoE officers interpret these criteria with slightly different thresholds. Regional variation is real and documented within the NZ home education community. A strong application is one that clearly demonstrates planning and personal voice regardless of who reads it.
What the Ministry is not looking for
- A school timetable with lessons scheduled by the hour
- Formal teaching qualifications
- Adherence to the New Zealand Curriculum
- Evidence of what your child has already learned
- A comprehensive academic programme rivalling what a school provides
The Ministry's own guidance says: “We do not require home educators to specifically teach the New Zealand Curriculum.”
Five things strong applications show
Describe your approach in plain English, whatever it is: structured, interest-led, Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, Montessori, classical, unschooling or a mix. All are accepted. Applicants who write around their philosophy instead of stating it leave the officer guessing.
Officers are experienced at telling a parent who understands their approach from one who copied a template. An application that sounds like a real family doing real things beats one that reads like a prospectus. Most parents go through several drafts before it sounds like them.
Literacy, maths and science should show up somewhere, even informally: daily reading and library visits, cooking and board games, a worm farm or a garden. MoE checks the basics are there, not that they're taught the way a school would.
Five parts: title, aim, resources, method and evaluation, for one topic. A plan on how to boil an egg has been accepted. Simple, specific and real beats impressive and generic.
MoE assesses whether your programme is likely to work, not what your child already knows. You're describing intentions, so write in the future tense: "we will cover" is exactly right.
The 8 NZ Curriculum learning areas
You don't have to follow the New Zealand Curriculum, but assessors look for breadth, and its eight learning areas are the easiest checklist. Show where each one turns up in your child's week, even informally. None needs to be exhaustive, but none should be absent.
Reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Show how your child engages with language: through books, writing projects, conversations, storytelling, whatever is real to your family.
Numbers, measurement, geometry, statistics. This can be as practical as cooking, budgeting, building, or gaming. MoE is looking for engagement, not worksheets.
Understanding the natural world. Gardens, experiments, documentaries, library books, nature observation: all count. Show curiosity and method.
History, geography, society, identity. Trips, discussions, reading, family culture and heritage all feed into this area.
Visual art, music, drama, dance. Show what creative practice looks like week to week, not just that it occasionally happens.
Physical activity, wellbeing, understanding the body. Sport, movement, cooking, and open conversations about health all apply.
Designing, making, and using technology thoughtfully. This includes digital tools, building projects, and understanding how things work.
Includes Te Reo Māori. Engagement with te reo, even at a basic level through songs, greetings, or resources, is expected and valued by MoE.
Supervision and suitability
MoE will also consider whether the teaching environment is suitable and whether you are the right person to provide it. This does not mean you need teaching qualifications. It means your application should demonstrate that:
- You understand your child's learning needs and how to meet them
- You have access to appropriate resources and community connections
- Your child will have regular social contact with other children
- You have thought through how you will assess progress over time
Parents with no formal teaching background are approved every day. What matters is that the application is thoughtful, specific, and written with clear understanding of your own child.
How to demonstrate "as regularly and as well"
You don't need to mirror school hours. A committed daily rhythm that covers the curriculum areas, even if informal, satisfies the regularity requirement. What MoE wants to see is:
- A description of a typical week (not a rigid timetable, but a sense of how learning happens)
- Evidence that all curriculum areas will be visited regularly, not just the ones you enjoy
- Some form of assessment or progress tracking, however informal
- A topic plan that shows you can structure a learning project from start to finish
MoE expects programmes to change over time. The application is a snapshot of your current plan, not a contract. As one MoE advisor put it: “We'd be worried if it didn't change.”
Red flags that get applications returned
About one in three applicants receives a request for more information. These are not rejections. The most common triggers are:
- Very thin coverage of one or more learning areas, especially te reo Māori, which is sometimes omitted entirely
- A topic plan that is missing its evaluation component
- Assessment approach described so vaguely that it's unclear any tracking will happen
- Teaching methodology that is described only in general terms with no specific examples
- Writing that reads like a copied template. The same phrases appear in hundreds of applications
- A mismatch between the claimed approach (e.g. unschooling) and the level of formal planning described
- Special education needs mentioned without explaining how they will be met
If you receive a more-information letter, read it carefully and respond directly to the specific points raised. Applications that respond clearly and promptly almost always result in approval.
The learning differences question
Many families home educate because a child has dyslexia, ADHD, autism or another learning difference. Mentioning it in Section 1 can trigger assessment under a different standard in the Act: that your child will be taught at least as regularly and well as in a special class or clinic. That is a harder bar.
Experienced advisors consistently recommend not mentioning minor learning differences unless they are severe or central to the application. This is genuinely complex territory, so get specific advice before you submit. Our guide to home education with additional needs goes deeper.
Common questions
Does the MoE require specific subjects?
No. There are no legally required subjects. The Ministry expects literacy, maths and some form of science and history to feature, but the exact subjects and how you teach them are your choice.
Can I follow any educational philosophy?
Yes. The Ministry accepts all mainstream home education philosophies: classical, Charlotte Mason, school-at-home, unschooling, Montessori, Waldorf and mixed approaches.
Do I need to follow a set timetable?
No. You need to describe your approach to routine, but rigid scheduling is not required.
Can I change my programme after approval?
Yes. Your application describes intentions, and the Ministry expects your programme to evolve. You don't need to notify them every time you change your approach.
What if my child has a learning difference?
Be careful about how and whether you mention it. Standard advice is not to mention minor learning differences unless they are severe, so get specific advice before you submit.
Related guides
Who can help me write my exemption? Every option compared →Got a letter from MoE after applying? What it means →What is a Section 38 exemption? →How to apply for homeschooling in New Zealand →Want us to write the application for you?
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