Primary education in New Zealand is compulsory and comprises of 8 years, known as Year 1 to Year 8, starting from the age of 6. The two main types of primary schools in New Zealand are contributing primary schools and full primary schools, with the former providing education for Year 1 to 6, and the latter offering the full 8 years of primary education. Students who complete their studies at contributing primary schools will have to enrol into an intermediate school for their Year 7 and 8 education.

Primary education in New Zealand is free for citizens and PR holders, and focuses on foundation learning across a range of subjects and competencies, especially in literacy and numeracy.

Students who wish to pursue a higher education can enrol into the many tertiary institutions in New Zealand based on their preference and NCEA performance. The diverse options available include polytechnics, institutes of technology, wānanga and universities, offering different levels of courses that are subjected to the standards set by the NZQA.