Story perspectives

Ministry Confirms Phillips Homeschool Exemptions Amid Oversight Gaps

5/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Ministry of Education confirmed the Phillips children held valid homeschooling exemption certificates, disclosed only after an Ombudsman intervention.
The exemptions were granted on applications submitted by the children’s legal guardian before July 2021.
Since 2010 the Education Review Office stopped regular three-yearly homeschool reviews, completing 16 in 2023, 106 in 2024 and 111 in 2025, prompting experts to warn that the wellbeing of New Zealand’s 11,010 homeschooled children—about 3 % of students—remains uncertain.

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Story summary

The Ministry of Education confirmed the Phillips children held valid homeschooling exemption certificates, disclosed only after an Ombudsman intervention.
The exemptions were granted on applications submitted by the children’s legal guardian before July 2021.
Since 2010 the Education Review Office stopped regular three-yearly homeschool reviews, completing 16 in 2023, 106 in 2024 and 111 in 2025, prompting experts to warn that the wellbeing of New Zealand’s 11,010 homeschooled children—about 3 % of students—remains uncertain.