Main heading

Ministry of Education Mini Logo linking to the website, opens in new window.

EdCentre Logo linking to the website, opens in new window.

newzealand.govt.nz - connecting you to New Zealand central & local government services

RSS 2.0 Feed  

Homeschooling as at 1 July 2005

For any enquiries about this report, please email Information.Officer@minedu.govt.nz, or you can download the supplementary tables from this webpage.

Statistics on homeschooling

At 1 July 2005 there were 6,428 homeschoolers recorded on the Ministry of Education’s homeschooling database, which represents less than 1 percent of total school enrolments at July 2005. These students belonged to 3,415 families.

Homeschooling 1995-2005*

From 1995 to 2004, the number of homeschoolers in New Zealand has shown a gradual increase but has dropped slightly in 2005.

  • In 1995 there was a total of 4,882 homeschoolers; in 2005 there were 6,428 - an increase of 32 percent.
  • Between 1 July 2004 and 1 July 2005 the number of homeschoolers dropped by 78 students - a decrease of 1.2 percent.

A graph titled 'Number of Homeschooled students in New Zealand 1995-2005'.

* During the period 1 July 1997 to 1 July 1998 a more regular and more systematic updating of Ministry records was introduced. This means that figures for previous years will be over-stated to some extent relative to the 1998 figures.

Number Commencing Homeschooling

For the 12 months ending 30 June 2005 , 1,412 students commenced homeschooling - an increase of 3.9 percent compared with the number starting during the previous year.

Of those starting in the 12 months ending 30 June 2005 :

  • 39 percent were aged six years old
  • 81 percent were aged within the primary school age range (5-12 years)

 

A graph titled 'Homeschoolers commencing between July 2004 and July 2005'.

Number Finishing Homeschooling

For the 12 months ending 30 June 2005 , 1,490 students finished homeschooling. Of these:

  • 186 (12 percent) finished their homeschooling within a year of starting
  • 1008 (68 percent) finished within four years
  • 476 (32 percent) had been homeschooled for 5 or more years.

 

A graph titled 'Duration of homeschoolers finishing between July 2004 and July 2005'.

Age Distribution of Homeschoolers

Of those being homeschooled, 67 percent were in the primary-school age range (5-12 years).

A table titled 'Number of homeschoolers by age and gender at 1 July 2005'.

Homeschoolers by Region

  • 74 percent of homeschoolers reside in the North Island
  • 24 percent live in Auckland .
  • Northland, West Coast, Nelson-Marlborough, Waikato and the Manawatu-Wanganui regions had the highest proportions of homeschoolers compared to the total school populations in those regions
  • Gisborne and Wellington had the lowest proportions of homeschoolers in relation to their total school populations

 

A graph titled 'Percentage of homeschoolers by region at 1 July 2005 (relative to the total school population)'.

Ethnicity of Homeschoolers

Eighty-Five percent of homeschoolers reported their ethnicity. Of these:

  • 84 percent identified as European/Pakeha
  • 10 percent identified as Maori
  • A lower proportion of homeschoolers identified as being Maori, Asian or Pacific Islands compared to students attending regular schools.

A graph titled 'Comparison of school students and homeschoolers by ethnicity at 1 July 2005'.

 

 

Related Webpages on Education Counts'

The Homeschooling statistics index page.

 

 


Back to top of page.