In its efforts to support and advocate for home educating families in Aotearoa New Zealand, NCHENZ sought out a legal opinion from Wellington law firm Rainey Collins in 2023. The opinion examines laws and legal issues regarding a parent’s right to apply for an exemption and /or home educate when his or her ex-partner is not supportive of their child(ren) being home educated.

We are making this legal opinion available to be read or downloaded in its entirety. We hope it is of assistance to home educators in Aotearoa New Zealand facing challenges in this area.

Law firm Rainey Collins have since published two articles containing legal advice regarding home education:

The firm has also published information about a recent court decision of relevance:

This case is an important legal precedent and should be shared with any home educating families in similar situations and with their lawyers.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, please do not hesitate to contact NCHENZ. We will do our best to assist and support you in any way we can.