Learn about our education sector
Key information about education in New Zealand
Early childhood education
Early childhood services in New Zealand are varied and include both parent-led and teacher-led services. Teacher-led services include privately owned and not-for-profit community-based services that provide both sessional and all-day programmes, such as a crèche or kindergarten. Parent-led services include Playcentres and certified Playgroups.
Some early childhood services in New Zealand have a particular language and cultural focus such as Kōhanga Reo, Puna Reo (both Māori early childhood centres) and Aoga Amata (Samoan language-based early childhood centre). Other services have a specific set of beliefs about teaching and learning, for example, Rudolph Steiner and Montessori.
The Correspondence School Te Kura provides distance early childhood education for young children who are unable to attend a service because of isolation, illness, special learning needs, or other special circumstances.
Key information for early childhood teachers
To support our youngest children, we have Te Whāriki, the curriculum for early learning. The focus of Te Whāriki is always on supporting children to develop the capabilities they need to be confident and competent learners.
The curriculum is designed to be inclusive, including gender and ethnicity, diversity of ability and learning needs, family structure and values, socio-economic status and religion. It holds the promise that all children will be empowered to learn with and alongside others.
The curriculum is a framework that is organised into principles, strands, goals and learning outcomes. Go to the tahurangi.education.govt.nz website to find out more about Te Whāriki.
Employment agreements are mandatory between employers and employees. Employment agreements can be collective or individual and vary depending on the early learning service; they will include your working terms and conditions such as pay, holiday and leave entitlements.
There are different collective agreements for early childhood and kindergarten teachers. Go to the education.govt.nz website to find out more about employment agreements.
Primary and secondary education
Education is free at state schools (these are government owned and funded) for all New Zealand citizens or permanent residents between the ages of 5 and 19.
Schooling is compulsory from age 6 to 16. In most schools, children can start school the day they turn 5 years old (they don't have to wait until the start of a new school year). However, some schools have a policy of starting children at school together as a group at the start of each term.
The education system for New Zealand schools is made up of 13 year levels. Primary education starts at Year 1 and goes to Year 8 (around 5–12 years of age). Secondary education goes from Year 9 to Year 13 (around 13–17 years of age).
Key information for primary and secondary teachers
At primary level, children are placed in a wide variety of learning situations. They are usually based in one classroom and may join with other classes for some activities. Class sizes vary but are generally smaller in the junior school. The primary school day typically begins at 9am and finishes at 3pm, with breaks mid-morning, lunchtime and occasionally mid-afternoon.
Most secondary schools operate between approximately 8.45am and 3.15pm. In secondary schools, students are usually grouped in form or home classes for administrative purposes, such as roll call. In years 9 and 10, students typically stay as a form or home class to study core subjects, and split into different classes for their options. At senior level, students go to different teachers for each subject they study. Go to the education.govt.nz website to find out more about New Zealand’s school network.
The national curriculum consists of The New Zealand curriculum (English medium) and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (Māori medium). Although they come from different perspectives, each starts with a vision of young people growing and realising their potential.
The curriculum is a framework that sets the direction for student learning and includes 8 essential learning areas:
- English
- The arts
- Health and physical education
- Mathematics and statistics
- Science
- Social sciences
The national framework is used by schools and their teachers to develop a student-led, local curriculum.
In 2023, Aotearoa histories and Te akanga o Te Wā (Māori history) was introduced to the curriculum and is now being taught in all schools and kura for the first time. This exciting change will help embed our Māori history into learning.
Go to the tahurangi.education.govt.nz website to find out more about the national curriculum.
Primary teachers in state and state state-integrated schools and kura are covered by the terms and conditions of either the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement (PTCA), or an individual employment agreement (IEA), with similar terms and conditions as the PTCA.
Primary teachers – Ministry of Education
Secondary teachers in state and state-integrated schools and kura are covered by the terms and conditions of either the Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement (STCA), or an individual employment agreement (IEA), with similar terms and conditions as the STCA.
Professional development is important as it allows you to grow and thrive. We have a network of regionally allocated professional learning and development. Go to the PLD website to find out more.
Understanding our culture
New Zealand is home to many cultures, including Pacific, Asian, European and Māori. Being a teacher in New Zealand means you are likely to experience all or many of these cultures and having a basic understanding of them will help you settle into your role.
The revitalising of te reo Māori (Māori language) is a big part of our education system and as a teacher you will be expected to help support this. When you start teaching you will hear words like ‘kaiako’, which means ‘teacher', or 'ākonga' instead of 'students'. Many schools perform kapa haka (action songs) and start and finish assemblies with a karakia (greeting). When you start at a school you may be greeted with a pōwhiri (pronounced 'po-for-ree'), which is a Māori welcome ceremony steeped in tradition.
You can learn more about Māori culture, customs and language with the following resources:
- Māori words – NZ History
- Māori pronunciation – reomāori.co.nz
- Traditional Māori culture and customs – National Library
If you work in Early Childhood Education, you can sign up for introductory online courses:
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document. It takes its name from the place in the Bay of Islands where it was first signed, on 6 February 1840. Te Tiriti is an agreement, in Māori and English, that was made between the British Crown and about 540 Māori rangatira (chiefs).