Your Rights

Enrolling at a School

Can I enrol at my local public school?

Yes, if your local public school has capacity to take you, they must enrol you if you meet the following criteria

1. You are either a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder; and
2. You are aged between 5 and 19 (or 21 in some cases); and
3. If the school has a zone, you live ‘in zone’.

Integrated, charter, and private schools sometimes have additional enrolment requirements. For example, integrated schools often require students to share the faith background of the school, and private schools often require parents to pay significant fees before enrolling their children.

Are there any times when a school can refuse to enrol me?

Yes, a school can refuse to enrol you if:

• They are a public school and you have been excluded or expelled from your last school/previous schools (but if you were excluded, the Ministry of Education might tell a public school to enrol you, even if they don’t want to); or
• They are a public school with a zone that you do not live within; or
• You are 20 years old or over (in most cases); or
• The school you want to enrol at is an integrated or charter school and you do not meet their special requirements; or
• The school is private (because private schools can choose who they enrol); or
• The school has been established for a purpose that does not apply to you (for example, boys cannot attend girls’ schools).

Can a school refuse to enrol me because I have disabilities?

No. Under the Human Rights Act 1993, it is unlawful for any school to refuse to enrol a person based on a disability.

Can my school review or annul my enrolment?

Yes, schools can review or annul students’ enrolments if:

• the school thought they were ‘in zone’ when they enrolled, but later (and reasonably) came to believe they were using a temporary address to get into the school; or
• the student provided false information (for example, a false address).

If you think you are being treated unfairly, give YouthLaw a call and we can talk about your rights and responsibilities.

When do I not have to attend school full-time?

If you are enrolled at a school, you do not have to attend it full-time if:

• You have a well-being plan; or
• You have a transition plan; or
• You attend secondary-tertiary programmes and have multiple timetable arrangements.

Can I enrol in an out of zone school?

Generally, students won’t be accepted into a public school that has a zone if they live outside the zone. However, they might be able to apply to enrol as an out of zone student. In the second half of each year, schools that accept out of zone students hold ballots for out of zone applications for the following year. Schools must prioritise the ballots according to the rules set out in the Education and Training Act 2020, which can be found here. To find out more about applying for a school you are out of zone for, you should contact the school.