What is an enrolment scheme?

If a state school is full or getting overcrowded the school’s Board of Trustees can ask the Ministry of Education if the school can have an enrolment scheme. Also, if a school offers a special sort of education it can have an enrolment scheme. For example it may be a Kura Kaupapa Maori, a Catholic school or a school for blind students. An enrolment scheme says how the school is to choose students to enrol at the school.

Only state schools with enrolment schemes have “home zones”. A home zone is the local area around a school. State schools without enrolment schemes don’t have home zones. If you are not sure whether a school has an enrolment scheme, you or your parents can check with the Ministry of Education (see “Other information and further help”).

All students in the home zone of a state school with an enrolment scheme are allowed to enrol there and all students who apply to a state school without an enrolment scheme can enrol there (except if you fit into one of the exceptions listed at page 1 under “Can I be refused enrolment by a state school?” ).

Students who live outside the home zone can still apply for enrolment. You will be accepted in the following order:

1. If you’re accepted for a special programme run by the school (such as a special educational unit or a bi-lingual unit)
2. If you’re the brother or sister of a current student
3. If you’re the brother or sister of a past student
4. If you’re the child of someone who works at the school
5. If you don’t fit into any of these groups, you can still get in if there are places left. If there are more applicants than places in any of groups 2 to 4 above, the school must choose which students get in by holding a “ballot” (a random selection

Schools offering a special sort of education (see “What is an enrolment scheme?”) don’t have to have home zones or run ballots but they do have to give priority to students who would find the school reasonably easy to get to.

Enrolment schemes are not allowed to discriminate against you (or others) because of colour, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, family status, or political opinion. The Ministry of Education has to approve the scheme before a school can put it into place. The scheme is not allowed to choose students on the basis of academic ability or sporting ability.

Enrolment schemes are public documents so you have the right to read them. Schools with enrolment schemes must set out their conditions and how they chose students.

If you are not successful in getting a place the school must give its reasons to you. Often schools don’t give any explanation. You should ask for the reasons why to check that they apply. You can also ask the school Board of Trustees to review your application to enrol at that school.

If the reasons given to you appear to discriminate against you because of your colour, religion and so forth you can make a complaint to the Human Rights Commission. If the school has refused you for another reason that you believe is wrong (for example, because it thinks you live outside the home zone) you can complain to the Ministry of Education.

For these organisations’ contact details see “More Information - School”.

Always ask for a copy of the enrolment scheme, and check whether it stops you from enrolling. Sometimes principals have said their enrolment scheme it does prevent a particular young person from enrolling, when it doesn’t.

Remember, if you aren’t sure whether or not a school has an enrolment scheme, check with the Ministry of Education. Sometimes schools tell people that they are “out of zone” and don’t qualify for enrolment when the school doesn’t actually have an enrolment scheme or zone, so make sure you check this out.