Declaration & Allowance
Quick Summary:
Home educators receive forms from the Ministry of Education in around April and October each year
The Declaration confirms that you have continued to meet your legal obligations to home educate your child over the preceding six months
You may also elect to receive a supervisory allowance
Forms are automatically sent to the home address the Ministry of Education holds on file for you
You will need to contact MoE to let them know of a change of address or if you haven’t received the form
The allowance will be “docked” if you travel outside of NZ for more than 28 days
You must complete the Declaration even if you don’t wish to receive the supervisory allowance
Failure to complete the Declaration may result in a review by the Education Review Office
The Ministry of Education (MoE) contacts all home educators twice a year to confirm that those with exemptions are still being educated “at least as regularly and well as a registered school.”
You can expect to receive forms in around April and October each year, which will be posted to the home address that MoE has on file for you (from sending you your exemption letter).
The Declaration:
The first form is a declaration that confirms you have continued to meet your legal obligations to home educate your child over the preceding six months, and that your circumstances have not changed (for example, that you haven’t enrolled your child in school). Complete the declaration and return it to MoE in the envelope supplied.
If you do not return the form by the date specified, you will receive a reminder. If MoE has still not received the form by the date in the reminder letter, they may choose to instigate other means of checking whether your child is still being taught “as regularly and well” such as an audit of your homeschooling programme by the Education Review Office. You are responsible for managing the process if you are absent from your home address for any reason, or if you have moved.
The Supervisory Allowance
At the same time as you complete your Declaration form, you may elect to receive a supervisory allowance. This is a similar payment to that given to parents/caregivers who utilise Te Kura full-time for their school-aged children. The supervisory allowance is not taxed, and there is no obligation to spend it on curriculum materials or anything else relating to homeschooling. The allowance is for you, as the supervisor of the homeschooling programme in your household, and you can spend it on whatever you choose.
If you wish to receive the supervisory allowance, complete the form which accompanies the Declaration. The allowance is paid in about May/June and November/December each year and covers the preceding six months. The first payment for a child new to home education will cover the period since the date the exemption certificate was issued. Payment is subject to confirmation that you are continuing to educate your child “at least as regularly and well as a registered school”.
While you cannot apply to home educate a child aged 16yrs or over, if you already have an existing Certificate of Exemption for a child before they turn 16yrs you can continue to receive the supervisory allowance (upon completion of the forms twice a year) until the end of the calendar year in which the child turns 19yrs (provided the child is still being home educated).
MoE advise that, if you travel outside of Aotearoa for more than 28 days, no supervisory allowance will be paid for that period – see Travelling/Leaving NZ.
Update your Details:
If you haven’t received the forms, you need a replacement form, or for any other issues or queries - the department to contact at the Ministry of Education is the Resourcing Division:
Resourcing Division
Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666
Wellington 6140
Phone (04) 463 8383
The annual allowance rates are as follows:
First child $796 ($398 twice a year)
Second child $677 ($338.50 twice a year)
Third Child $557 ($278.50 twice a year)
Subsequent children $398 ($199 twice a year).
