B3.3.6 New Zealand: Schools And Education
Description
This article is from the New Zealand FAQ, by Phil Stuart-Jones and Lin Nah with numerous contributions by others.
B3.3.6 New Zealand: Schools And Education
Compulsory from age 7 to 15, but almost all children start kindergarten at
age 4 and then school at 5.
Primary schools: J or Primer (pron. 'primmer') 1 and 2: approx age 5-6
Standards 1-4: approx age 7-11
Intermediate schools: Form 1-2: approx age 11-13
(these are sometimes included in primary schools
or in secondary schools)
Secondary schools: Form 3-7: approx age 13-18
NZ schools have a high international reputation, especially for their
reading and remedial reading programmes. A growing number of schools have
special programmes for children whose first language is not English.
Most schools require school uniforms except some primary schools. Some
schools do not require 6th and 7th formers (last 2 years of school before
entering university) to wear uniform.
National exams/qualifications:
Form 5: School Certificate
Form 6: Sixth Form Certificate
Form 7: Bursary (entrance to university is mostly based on this)
School term and holiday dates:
The term dates for state primary and secondary schools can be
found at the URLs below. The private schools have approximately the
same dates. Usually the difference is only by about a week or 2 only.
1998 : http://www.minedu.govt.nz/Schools/Holidays/1998.htm
1999 - 2000 : http://www.minedu.govt.nz/Schools/Holidays/1999-2000.htm
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