2025-06-22 16:03:39 +1200
To: the House of Representatives
Student Sports For All Students
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We respectfully request that the House of Representatives urge the Government to require Sport NZ to make funding for School Sports NZ conditional on allowing home-schooled domestic students to compete in student sports events.
Why is this important?
We believe every NZ student deserves fair and equal rights to compete in student sports events, including home-schooled students.
School Sports NZ excludes home-schooled students from competing in many local, regional, and national events.
Diverse and inclusive sport is a core principle within Sport NZ's strategy and we believe its funding allocations should uphold this.
In our opinion, student sports should include every NZ student, no matter their legal education path.
📣 Please Sign and Share this Petition!
Use social media, community groups, and newsletters to spread the word. Thank you!
About Homeschooling
School Sports NZ excludes home-schooled students from competing in many local, regional, and national events.
Diverse and inclusive sport is a core principle within Sport NZ's strategy and we believe its funding allocations should uphold this.
In our opinion, student sports should include every NZ student, no matter their legal education path.
📣 Please Sign and Share this Petition!
Use social media, community groups, and newsletters to spread the word. Thank you!
About Homeschooling
Home-schooled students in Aotearoa New Zealand are domestic students regulated by Section 38 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and overseen by the Ministry of Education. Home-schooling families are eligible for a Homeschooling Allowance of between $398–$796 per student, per year from the Ministry of Education.
About HESSA
The Home Educators Student Sports Association (HESSA) is the national body representing the rights of almost 11,000 home-schooled domestic students to compete in sports across Aotearoa New Zealand. HESSA has a strategic focus on ending the exclusion of home-schooled domestic students from competing in secondary-age student sports in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Other Actions You May Like to Take
🏉 Ask Your Sports Club to Support the Cause
Encourage clubs to publicly support inclusion and raise the issue with their governing bodies.
Encourage clubs to publicly support inclusion and raise the issue with their governing bodies.
🏉 Contact National and Regional Sports Code Bodies
Ask them to advocate for policy changes that allow home-schooled domestic students to compete in student sports at all levels.
Ask them to advocate for policy changes that allow home-schooled domestic students to compete in student sports at all levels.
📨Write to Your Local MP
Personalize your message to explain why inclusion in student sports for home-schooled students matters to you.
Ask them to raise the issue in Parliament or with the Minister of Sport and Sport NZ.
📨 Write to the Hon Mark Mitchell, Minister of Sport and Recreation
Let him know that you support inclusive student sport and ask him to ensure Sport NZ funding reflects this value.
Personalize your message to explain why inclusion in student sports for home-schooled students matters to you.
Ask them to raise the issue in Parliament or with the Minister of Sport and Sport NZ.
📨 Write to the Hon Mark Mitchell, Minister of Sport and Recreation
Let him know that you support inclusive student sport and ask him to ensure Sport NZ funding reflects this value.
📨 Contact School Sport NZ and Sport NZ
Send respectful emails or letters urging them to review their policies and align with inclusive principles.
Send respectful emails or letters urging them to review their policies and align with inclusive principles.
📨 Engage with Local Councils and Boards of Trustees
Encourage them to support inclusive policies in their local sports events and facilities.
Encourage them to support inclusive policies in their local sports events and facilities.
References
- HESSA Feedback to SSNZ on Eligibility Criteria Review https://www.hessa.org.nz/newsarticle/152183?newsfeedId=2145584
Media - Stuff Digital (8/6/25)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360714300/embarrassing-disappointing-awkward-13-year-old-opens-about-being-refused-medal-because-she-home - Paddy Gower - TFN (6/6/25)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360712256/bedpans-biographer-sale-century - NZME –NZ Herald & Bay of Plenty Times Article (1/6/2025)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/home-schooled-athletes-to-cycle-800km-to-parliament-seeking-sports-rule-change/3OQ5IT7GSRE5BN73U6V25YA57M/ - Stuff Media – Waikato Times & The Press (24/4/2025)
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360663787/home-schooled-kids-miss-out-bike-competition-medals?fbclid=IwY2xjawKA5MVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFnZm9hcHhKVXV0cXJGdk5aAR598FSFAAWZ4mUWm4vn9p2lknQmKH_mqHwt4U_7NgRh9C6OlgZjNauXgb1sVA_aem_AXBEr093neblFP7p2BW_ig - Radio New Zealand Article & RNZ Checkpoint Interview (24/4/2025)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/559030/student-not-given-medal-due-to-being-homeschooled - NZME –NZ Herald & Bay of Plenty Times Article (3/5/2025)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tauranga-homeschool-student-stripped-of-biking-competition-medal/AVLBZXW5WNHZ5DFA2VHTZ4RGAU/#google_vignette - Sport NZ – Good Practice Principles
https://sportnz.org.nz/media/2012/good-practice-principles-for-the-provision-of-sport-and-recreation-for-young-people.pdf
How it will be delivered
The petition will be carried by two dedicated HESSA members, Amelia Twiss and George Fisher, who will cycle from the Grassroots Trust Velodrome in Cambridge to Parliament in Wellington.
After 10 days and almost 800kms, Amelia and George will personally deliver the petition to Parliament on 1 July 2025, calling for equal access to student sport for all young people, including the 4,000+ homeschooled students currently excluded.