Homeschooling as at 1 July 2009
For any enquiries about this report, please contact the Data Services Unit via email Information.Officer@minedu.govt.nz, or you can download the supplementary tables from this webpage.
Statistics on homeschooling
At 1 July 2009 there were 6,787 home schooled students recorded on the Ministry of Education’s homeschooling database, which represents less than one per cent of total school enrolments at July 2009. These students belonged to 3,541 families.
Homeschooling 1998-2009
- In 1998 there was a total of 5,274 homeschoolers; in 2009 there were 6,787 - an increase of 28.7 %.
- Between 1 July 2008 and 1 July 2009 the number of homeschoolers increased by 286 students - an increase of 4.4%.
Number of Homeschooled Students in NZ 1998-2009
Number Commencing Homeschooling
Between 30 June 2008 and 1 July 2009, 1,369 students commenced homeschooling – an increase of 6.9% compared with the number starting during the previous year.
Of those starting in the 12 months ending 30 June 2009:
- 36.0 % were aged six years old
- 81.2 % were aged within the primary school age range (5-12 years)
Number Finishing Home schooling
Between 30 June 2008 and 1 July 2009, 1,083 students finished homeschooling. Of these:
- 160 students (14.8 %) finished their homeschooling within a year of starting
- 643 students (59.4 %) finished within four years
- 440 students (40.6 %) had been homeschooled for 5 or more years.
Age Distribution of Homeschoolers
Of those being homeschooled, 63.6 % were in the primary-school age range (5-12 years).
| Age | Male | Female | Total | Percentage |
| 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0% |
| 6 | 252 | 256 | 508 | 7% |
| 7 | 256 | 307 | 563 | 8% |
| 8 | 333 | 315 | 648 | 10% |
| 9 | 312 | 304 | 616 | 9% |
| 10 | 359 | 312 | 671 | 10% |
| 11 | 341 | 322 | 663 | 10% |
| 12 | 350 | 290 | 640 | 9% |
| 13 | 314 | 271 | 585 | 9% |
| 14 | 285 | 288 | 573 | 8% |
| 15 | 284 | 300 | 584 | 9% |
| 16 | 170 | 186 | 356 | 5% |
| 17 | 97 | 125 | 222 | 3% |
| 18 | 54 | 50 | 104 | 2% |
| 19 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 1% |
| 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| 21 | 1 | 1 | 0% | |
| Total | 3,431 | 3,356 | 6,787 | 100% |
Homeschoolers by Region
- West Coast, Northland and Marlborough regions had the highest proportions of homeschoolers compared to the total school populations in those regions.
- Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Otago had the lowest proportions of homeschoolers in relation to their total school populations
- The majority of homeschoolers (72.9%) reside in the North Island with 23.3 % in Auckland.
(relative to the total school population)
Ethnicity of Homeschoolers
Almost all (97.4 %) of homeschoolers reported their ethnicity. Of these:
- 81.9 % identified as NZ European/Pākehā
- 10.3 % identified as Māori
- a lower proportion of homeschoolers identified as being Māori, Asian or Pacific Islands compared to students attending regular schools.
