Eligibility

Ākonga (students) may be eligible for dual tuition with Te Kura through either:

OR

Each gateway has a limit to the number of Government-funded courses that can be chosen to support the ākonga learning programme. For more information you can also check our Choice Course Selection Guide 2025.

Each gateway has specific criteria:

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura) Enrolment and Dual Tuition Policy

Summary of Government-funded dual tuition

Year LevelMinistry of Education Enrolment Criteria
*Enrolment criteria are subject to change		No. of Govt Funded Subjects
Years 1-15
Curriculum adaptation		 Learning Support needs: Requires an Individual Education Plan which is less than six months old, with a statement from the school describing the learning support assistance already provided to the student. Applications are considered on an individual basis and accepted at the discretion of Te Kura. Up to 75% of the learning programme (approx 4 subjects)
Gifted: Applications must be supported by an Individual Education Plan which is less than six months old, and evidence of exceptional academic, creative, social, cultural and/or physical ability must be provided - e.g. nomination, portfolio, assessment results, report from a qualified educational or clinical psychologist. 2
Years 7-8
Curriculum capability		 Technology: Geographically isolated schools with no Year 7-8 technology tuition. Requires Ministry of Education approval. 1
Te Reo: Requires Ministry of Education Manager approval for all levels of Te Reo Māori. Second subject may be from the Kaupapa Māori learning area. 2
Years 7-15
Curriculum adaptation		 Reintegration: To support a student's reintegration into a local school. Registration is at the discretion of Te Kura and requires supporting documentation i.e. a reintegration plan and Ministry of Education approval. 4
Years 9-15
Curriculum capability		 Subject not available: Only available to secondary schools with fewer than 600 students. Subjects not offered or that are not available in that school's language of tuition (e.g. English or te reo Māori). 4
Cultural affinity: Student has a demonstrated family or cultural affinity with an ethnic group and requires tuition in that language. 1
Student transfer: For students who have transferred from another school during that year. The maximum period of dual tuition is for the remainder of the school year. 2
Years 11-15
Curriculum capability		 Small senior classes - NCEA Level 1-3 courses only: A school has only a small number of students studying a subject at Year 11, 12 or 13 levels. Maximum total of six students for this category per level per subject for each school. 2
Years 9-15
Curriculum capability		 Cultural exchange: For students on an approved cultural exchange in New Zealand who require subjects on return to the country that they are from. 2
Summer School: To enable short-term registrations over the summer break (between Terms 4 and 1) for students who need to earn additional credits or specific internal standards to complete an NCEA level. Limited to 1000 students per year. Up to 12 credits
Years 1-15
Curriculum capability		 Emergency staff vacancy: No suitable applicants are available. Minimum of four weeks and a maximum of one term. Approvals can be reviewed each term. Subject related
School emergency: Where a community has suffered a natural disaster, which has impacted on the school's ability to provide education for a significant period of time. Approved by the Secretary of Education. Approved at time of emergency response
Regional Health School Curriculum adaptation: Health School students may enrol for all or part of their learning. Individual Education Plan required. No limit
Specialist schools and specialist institutions Curriculum adaptation: Requires an Individual Education Plan which is less than six months old and specifies the required tuition duration. Registrations are accepted at the discretion of Te Kura. 2
Realm Country Schools Curriculum capability: For Realm country (Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau) students whose school is unable to provide access to subjects. As approved on application
Curriculum capability: For Realm country students enrolled in state schools in Tokelau who meet the definition of 'domestic student' in section 10 of the New Zealand Education and Training Act (until Tokelau has been granted consent to assess NCEA by the NZQA). As approved on application
Attached units Curriculum capability: Students are attending an Activity Centre, Alternative Education Centre, or Teen Parent Unit. 4

Fee-paying dual enrolments

Dual Providers may be able to enrol domestic and international ākonga with Te Kura on a fee-paying basis, if they do not meet the government funded gateway criteria. The fee is charged to the enrolling school or organisation.

View our fees schedule

All ākonga must be:

Private schools do not have access to government funded gateways but may access dual tuition through the fee-paying gateway.

Ambury Park Centre, Odyssey House, and Hohepa School are the only private schools that have retained government-funded access due to the schools’ character and role in supporting vulnerable tamariki (children) and rangitahi (young people).