Call to action

Written By NCHENZ Exec

We need your help!

This is an urgent call to action for our members. To have our voices heard we must take action now by the weekend it will be too late, we will have missed out on our opportunity. We will only be heard by having many united voices contacting our representatives in government.

What has happened

On 18 May 2026 the Government issued a press release proposing changes to New Zealand’s home education laws as part of the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill (the Bill). These changes were added through an Amendment Paper after the Select Committee process, meaning there was no public or sector consultation before they were introduced.

What the proposed changes would do

The amendment would allow the Ministry of Education to create new rules in the form of regulations that home educating families must follow in order to keep their homeschooling exemption without consultation from the home educating community.


These regulations could include:

  • Regular progress reports from parents

  • Mandatory student assessments or testing

  • Other future requirements as set by regulation

If families do not meet the requirements or refuse to comply with the regulations, the Ministry could potentially revoke their homeschooling exemption.

As of now, we do not know what these regulations would require or how far-reaching they could be. For this reason, NCHENZ believes it is important to oppose the Bill in its entirety now while we have the opportunity to do so. We are not opposed to regulatory requirements, but they need to be flexible, relevant and made with consultation.


Concerns being raised

Several concerns have been raised about the proposal:

  • There was no consultation with homeschooling groups before the changes were introduced despite requests from NCHENZ for this to happen.

  • The details are unclear — there is currently no information about:

    • how often reports would be required

    • what assessments would look like or who would conduct them

    • how the information would be used

  • Families with neurodiverse or disabled children may find mandatory testing especially difficult.

  • The proposal would allow future governments to add more homeschooling regulations without going back through Parliament.

  • The changes would place heavy administrative pressure on homeschooling families.

  • There is no requirement for consultation with the home educating community when any changes are made.

Current status of the Bill

The proposed changes are not law yet, but soon will be. 

The Bill has passed its Second Reading and moving through Parliament this week. If passed, the new regulations would likely come into effect from July 2027.

The Bill itself does not create the reporting or testing requirements, but it creates the legal power for those rules to be introduced later in the form of regulations with no consultation or limitations.


What you can do if you oppose the proposed changes

Labour and the Green Party are already opposing the changes. ACT’s position could be important in deciding whether the amendments move forward.


Who to contact

NCHENZ is asking its members and supporters to urgently email the following:

You can find MP contact details here.

What to say in your message

Keep it short and clear. Include:

  • That you are writing about Amendment Paper 583 to the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill, especially sections 5F and 51A

  • That you oppose the amendment and your reasons for opposing it

  • Concern about the lack of public consultation

  • Concern that the amendment was introduced after the Select Committee process

  • Concern that it allows future homeschooling regulations to be added without proper consultation

  • How reporting or assessment requirements could affect your family, if relevant

  • A request that the recipient oppose the amendment in Parliament


NCHENZ Exec
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NCHENZ Statement to the Home Education Community