NCHENZ

REPORT ON CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH HOME EDUCATORS

The New Zealand Correspondence School (TCS) is a bulk funded state school. The enrolment criteria for TCS is determined annually between TCS and the Ministry of Education and confirmed in an annual Purchase Agreement. TCS determines the fees for those students who do not meet the eligibility criteria. From the point of view of home educators this means that we need to raise any access issues we have with the MOE not TCS. Any submission home educators might wish to make on access to TCS courses for students under 16, for example requesting access to subjects on the same basis as small secondary schools, need to be made to the MOE. It is possible there will be changes in the courses available to fee paying students for courses below NCEA level as many of these courses are not attracting significant enrolments. To the extent that TCS is able to make decisions about interface with home educators they are prepared to accommodate us but not at the expense of their own students. As a result of NCHENZ meeting with TCS home educators have been invited to participate in TCS camps being held throughout New Zealand in 2006. The TCS does not have any separate statistics on the numbers of students over 16 who have previously been home educated who are using TCS as a pathway to tertiary or to complete NCEA under the adult eligibility criteria. Given the small numbers involved on an annual basis it is probably impractical to collect separate figures. Students with an early leaving exemption under section 22 of the Education Act can enrol with TCS. Although the early leaving exemption is available to students from age 15 in practice the MOE does not usually grant them to students younger than 15 years 9 months so there is little to be gained from home educators exploring this option. TCS regards the provision of access to NCEA for 16 to 18 year olds as a core service. It is a last chance opportunity for many people in this age group to attain school leaving qualifications. The present access arrangements and fees are unlikely to change in the foreseeable future however the School reserves the right to change and or increase its fees based on increased costs for example. Students with entitlement to ORRS funding may find there are advantages for them enrolling with TCS. As the enrolment criteria are complex the best advice we can give is for each family to discuss the possibilities directly with TCS. NCHENZ has indicated that local home educating support groups would welcome TCS parents and children to join them in their support groups activities. In rural areas particularly many Correspondence School parents feel quite isolated and would welcome interaction with other parents. NCHENZ will provide TCS with a list of local real life and email support groups available for home educators in New Zealand. Julie Ward, April 2006

Ministry of education

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