ENROLMENTS AND ENROLMENT SCHEMES
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS |
Here are answers to
questions which parents sometimes ask when they need to enrol their child at a
school. If you want more detailed
information, contact staff at one of the Ministry of Education offices listed
at the end of this document. Staff
there will be able to help you.
What rights does my child have
regarding enrolment at school?
Why then do some schools have enrolment schemes?
What does the law have to say about enrolment schemes?
What is this that I hear about zoning?
What if I live outside the home zone?
How do enrolment schemes work?
How do you define “living in the home zone”?
What rights do I have if I am new to the area?
What can I do if a school tells me that it is full and
cannot enrol my child?
How do I contact the Ministry of Education?
What
rights does my child have regarding enrolment at school?
|
All children have the
right to be enrolled at a State school between their fifth birthday and the
first of January following their nineteenth birthday.
Why
then do some schools have enrolment schemes?
|
An enrolment scheme is
a means of limiting the roll to prevent overcrowding at the school, and
enabling the Ministry of Education to make best use of the current
accommodation at schools in the surrounding area.
What
does the law have to say about enrolment schemes?
|
Schemes should:
·
As far as possible exclude no more students than necessary to avoid
overcrowding;
·
Enable the Ministry to make best use of the existing networks of State
schools;
·
Ensure that the selection of applicants for enrolment at the school is
carried out in a fair and transparent manner;
·
Enable students to attend a reasonably convenient school;
·
As far as possible, not exclude local students.
What
is this that I hear about zoning?
|
Each enrolment scheme
must contain a home zone with clearly defined boundaries. Students who live in the home zone have an
absolute right to enrol at the school.
What
if I live outside the home zone?
|
Out of zone students
who apply for enrolment at the school must be accepted in the following order
of priority:
(a)
Students accepted for enrolment in a special programme run by the
school;
(b)
Brothers and sisters of current students
(c)
Brothers and sisters of former students
(d)
Children of board employees
(e)
All other students.
If there are more
applicants in priority groups (b)-(e) than there are places available,
selection within the priority group must be by ballot.
How do
enrolment schemes work?
|
The Ministry has to
agree that a scheme is necessary and has to approve the content of the
scheme.
Each year the board
must place a notice in a newspaper circulating in the area, stating:
·
How many out of zone places are likely to be available;
·
The date by which applications for out of zone places must be
received;
·
The date(s) of any ballot(s) for out of zone places.
If the board receives
fewer out of zone applications than there are places available, no ballot will
be necessary and all applicants will be enrolled.
Some primary schools
with enrolment schemes will advertise more than one ballot each year (perhaps
one each term) for five year olds who are starting school.
How do
you define “living in the home zone”?
|
This means that the
address you give when you apply for enrolment must be your usual place of
residence. If the school finds that you
have given false information, the school may cancel your child’s enrolment.
What
rights do I have if I am new to the area?
|
If you live in the home
zone of a school with an enrolment scheme and you want to enrol your child at
the school, the school must enrol your child.
If you want to enrol your child at a school with an enrolment scheme but
live outside the home zone, you will have to wait until the school next
organises a ballot before your application for enrolment can be considered.
What
can I do if a school tells me that it is full and cannot enrol my child?
|
First of all ask
whether the school has an enrolment scheme.
If it does not, the school should not be excluding your child. Contact your nearest Ministry of Education
office if this happens.
If the school does have
an enrolment scheme, check to see whether you live in the home zone. You will be able to see a copy of the scheme
at the school. If you do not live in
the school’s home zone, then there will be another school that is reasonably
convenient to your home that your child could attend.
If you live out of zone
and your child is unsuccessful in the ballot, you may still feel there are good
reasons why a school with an enrolment scheme should enrol your child. In this case you can contact your nearest
Ministry office to discuss the possibility of the Ministry directing the school
to enrol your child. The Ministry can
do this if there are special circumstances relating to your child that might
make it appropriate for the Ministry to override the scheme.
Are
things any different at a State integrated school, a Kura Kaupapa Maori or a
Designated Character School?
|
Schools of these types
may have authority to operate enrolment schemes if there are likely to be more
applicants for enrolment at the school than there are places available. Enrolment schemes at these schools do not
have to include a home zone or provide for a ballot.
·
A State integrated school
is a school with a special (religious) character, which has been integrated
into the State system. Every integrated
school has a maximum roll which it is not allowed to exceed. First of all an integrated school has to
cater for students who meet the school’s special character requirements. If there is room left, the school is able to
enrol a set small number of students who do not meet the special character
requirements.
·
A Kura Kaupapa Maori is a
State school where teaching is in the Maori language and the school’s aims,
purposes and objectives reflect the Te Aho Matua philosophy. Kura Kaupapa Maori are able to restrict
enrolments to the children of parents who accept the kura’s aims, purposes and
objectives.
·
A Designated Character School is
a State school with a particular character, but different from integrated
schools and Kura Kaupapa Maori. These
schools are able to restrict enrolments to the children of parents who accept
the school’s aims, purposes and objectives.
How do
I contact the Ministry of Education?
|
There are Ministry
offices at:
|
Whangarei |
Phone 09 430 4910 |
|
Auckland |
Phone 09 374 5400 |
|
Hamilton |
Phone 07 858 7130 |
|
Rotorua |
Phone 07 349 7399 |
|
Napier |
Phone 06 835 9671 |
|
Wanganui |
Phone 06 349 6300 |
|
Lower Hutt |
Phone 04 463 8699 |
|
Nelson |
Phone 03 546 8474 |
|
Christchurch |
Phone 03 364 3330 |
|
Dunedin |
Phone 03 471 5200 |
|
Invercargill |
Phone 03 218 2466 |