| As at 1 July 2021, there were 7,749 homeschooled students. This represents 0.9% of total school enrolments as at 1 July 2021. Out of the 7,749 homeschoolers 64.6% were aged 12 or under, 70.7% had been home-schooled for less than 5 years, and only 3.8% had been home-schooled for 10 years or more. [To be homeschooled for more than 10 years, a student would have to get the exemption at 6 and continue to be on the homeschooling roll past their 16th birthday.] |  |
Between 1 July 2020 and 1 July 2021 there was an overall net increase of 557 students; 1,858 students entered into homeschooling and 1,301 students finished homeschooling.
The average age of the 1,858 students entering into homeschooling was 8 years old, 81.5% were aged 12 or under and 0.8% were age 16 or above.
The average age of the 1,858 students entering into homeschooling was 8 years old, 81.5% were aged 12 or under and 0.8% were age 16 or above.
The average age of the 1,301 students finishing homeschooling was 13 years old, 45.6% were aged 12 or under, and 23.9% were 16-years old or above. Of the students finishing homeschooling during the year ending 1 July 2021, 30.4% had been in homeschooling less than a year, 40.0% had been in homeschooling for 1 – 5 years, and 11.3% had been in homeschooling for 10 years or more.
Source for the above: Education Counts
At the same time, we know that the Ministry is receiving record numbers of applications in the latter part of 2021; it will be interesting to see what next year's stats look like!
Image above extracted from THIS news article.
However, we also know that every year there are a lot of folk who leave homeschooling, for various reasons. Some of those (and it's especially true currently) never really wanted to homeschool, but felt it necessary due to circumstances. When those circumstances change, or if they find homeschooling doesn't suit their family, they send the kids back to school.
For some of those families, though, it could have been different - perhaps they just needed more connections, more support, from within the homeschooling world, to keep them going. After all, the first year of homeschooling is the hardest - after that it gets easier in many ways. Each homeschooling parent is, of course, self-responsible to seek out connections with others - and NCHENZ maintains a list of known regional homeschooling groups HERE. But we who are homeschooling already can also do our best to offer encouragement and support to those who choose, however briefly, to enter our world. Many, many of you already do this, which is great. I wonder, are there any new or additional ways we can encourage new folks who are past the exemption stage, but may be feeling a bit like they aren't on an even keel yet? What helped you when you were a homeschooler in your first year or so?
For some of those families, though, it could have been different - perhaps they just needed more connections, more support, from within the homeschooling world, to keep them going. After all, the first year of homeschooling is the hardest - after that it gets easier in many ways. Each homeschooling parent is, of course, self-responsible to seek out connections with others - and NCHENZ maintains a list of known regional homeschooling groups HERE. But we who are homeschooling already can also do our best to offer encouragement and support to those who choose, however briefly, to enter our world. Many, many of you already do this, which is great. I wonder, are there any new or additional ways we can encourage new folks who are past the exemption stage, but may be feeling a bit like they aren't on an even keel yet? What helped you when you were a homeschooler in your first year or so?
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