The transfer of regulatory responsibilities from the Ministry of Education to ERO took effect on 1 September 2026.
ERO's new regulatory responsibilities
Supporting safe, high-quality education and services through effective regulation, evaluation and improvement.
The Education Review Office (ERO) is now responsible for a range of regulatory functions relating to private schools, school hostels, early learning services and kōhungahunga. ERO is your place to go for education regulation, evaluation and review, helping ensure learners are safe, education providers meet requirements, and concerns are addressed consistently and fairly.
Whether you're an early learning service, private school, hostel, parent, whānau member or learner, this page will help you understand ERO's responsibilities and what they mean for you.
ERO will continue to embed and improve upon our approaches as we go forward with our new regulatory responsibilities and share more information about our approaches to this important mahi over time.
If you have any questions about this work, please feel free to contact our team.
Latest news
The transfer of regulatory responsibilities from the Ministry of Education to ERO took effect on 1 September 2026.
We have published information about what ERO reviews will look like for English-medium and Pacific-medium standalone services.
We appointed Ray, Director of Regulation and Deputy Chief Executive, Regulation and Early Childhood Education.
The transfer date was confirmed. Read the Ministry of Education announcement.
ERO is now responsible for licensing, certification, monitoring, compliance and enforcement for early childhood education services, including kōhungahunga, other licensed early learning services and certified playgroups.
ERO's Regulation and Early Childhood Education group leads licensing, certification, monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities. Te Uepū ā-Motu continues to lead kaupapa Māori and Māori-medium work, in connection with the Director of Regulation.
ERO is now the place to go for both regulatory and review services, making it easier to access information, guidance and support in one place.
ERO is updating its review approaches for ECE and Kōhungahunga settings. You can find information about reviews for your specific service type in the Understanding reviews in ECE and Kōhungahunga section.
Bringing these functions together in one organisation supports a more connected approach to quality, safety and improvement across the sector. Because quality, safety and improvement matter.
If services wish to report an incident, enquire into licensing or certification, or update aspects of their licensing they will now come to ERO.
Enforcement and monitoring work for ECE and Kōhungahunga that previously would have been undertaken by the Ministry of Education are now undertaken by ERO team.
Although there are new places to connect many things are staying the same for services of all kinds. Services should:
Continue to meet all licensing and certification requirements that apply to your service.
Follow all regulatory obligations and licensing criteria.
Contact ERO for licensing, compliance, monitoring and regulatory matters.
Engage with ERO during reviews, evaluations and regulatory activities as required.
ERO is your place to go! If in doubt, feel free to reach out to our team on info@ero.govt.nz
For most teachers, kaiako and educators, there will be little change to day-to-day practice. Services must continue to meet the same legislative and regulatory requirements, and you should continue to follow your service's policies, procedures and professional responsibilities.
What has changed is that ERO is now responsible for a range of regulatory functions relating to early childhood education and kōhungahunga, including licensing or certification, compliance monitoring, complaints, incident responses and enforcement activities. ERO also continues its role reviewing and evaluating the quality of education and care provided to children and mokopuna.
This means that if regulatory matters arise, such as incident notifications, complaints, licensing or certification enquiries, compliance matters, or questions about regulatory requirements, ERO is now the agency your service works with.
Teachers, kaiako and educators continue to play an important role in supporting safe, high-quality education and care. During review, monitoring or regulatory activities, ERO may engage with you to better understand practice, compliance, and the experiences and outcomes of children and mokopuna. These conversations help ERO build a more connected understanding of quality, safety and improvement.
If you're unsure whether a matter should be referred to ERO, please contact us and we'll help direct you to the right place.
Applications for new licenses, certifications, amendments and changes of management
From 1 September 2026, ERO is responsible for processing applications for new licences, certifications, amendments and changes of management for early childhood education services and kōhungahunga.
To start an application you can click here.
If your application was submitted before 1 September
The Ministry of Education and ERO have worked closely together to support the transfer of responsibilities. If your application was not completed before 1 September, it may have been transferred to ERO for assessment and processing.
If your application was transferred to ERO, we will continue processing it and will contact you if we need any further information.
Applications transferred to ERO
ERO aims to process applications within the required timeframes.
Applying after 1 September
All new applications for licenses, certifications, amendments and changes of management should be submitted to ERO. Information about application requirements and processes is available on the ERO website.
Questions about your application?
If you have questions about an application that is currently being processed, please contact us for assistance. We are committed to supporting a smooth transition and continuity of service for providers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Download, print and put up these informational posters
Parent and whānau poster for services to print and paste up - English language
Parent and whānau poster for services to print and paste up - Te Reo Māori
Add these update blocks to your next newsletter
Please visit our updated contact page for the most relevant contact information for your query. From this page you can also access a poster full of contact information that you can print and post up in your office or distribute to your teams.
If you are making an application, you may need to contact other organisations. You can find a useful contact list here to help with your queries.
From today, ERO is responsible for registration, monitoring, compliance and enforcement. Whether you're seeking information about regulatory requirements, applying for registration, reporting an incident, checking your obligations, or raising a concern or complaint, ERO is the place to go.
ERO also continues to review and evaluate the quality of education provided by private schools, creating a more connected approach to quality assurance, improvement and regulation.
If private schools or school hostels wish to enquire about registration requirements, report an incident, seek information about their regulatory obligations, or update registration-related information, they should now contact ERO.
Regulatory monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities that were previously undertaken by the Ministry of Education are now undertaken by ERO.
Although there is a new place to go for regulatory matters, many things remain the same. Private schools and school hostels should:
Continue to meet all registration requirements and regulatory obligations.
Follow all legislative, operational and regulatory requirements that apply to their setting.
Contact ERO for registration, compliance, monitoring and regulatory matters.
Engage with ERO during reviews, evaluations and regulatory activities as required.
ERO is your place to go. If you're unsure where to start, please contact our team at info@ero.govt.nz
We have created some print and paste up posters to help share important information with your team:
For most teachers, educators, hostel staff and other personnel working in private schools and school hostels, there will be little change to day-to-day practice.
Private schools and school hostels must continue to meet the same legal and regulatory requirements, and staff should continue to follow their organisation's policies, procedures and professional responsibilities.
What has changed is that ERO is now responsible for a range of regulatory functions relating to private schools and school hostels, including registration, compliance monitoring, incident responses, investigations and enforcement activities. ERO also continues to review and evaluate the quality of education provided by private schools.
This means that if regulatory matters arise, such as incident notifications, compliance matters, questions about regulatory requirements, registration enquiries, or concerns about a private school or school hostel, ERO is now the agency providers work with.
Teachers, educators and hostel staff continue to play an important role in supporting learner safety, wellbeing and educational success. During review, monitoring or regulatory activities, ERO may engage with staff to better understand practice, compliance, organisational processes and the experiences of learners.
Bringing regulatory and review functions together supports a more connected approach to quality, safety, wellbeing and continuous improvement across private schools and school hostels.
We have created some print and paste up posters for you to share with your community:
Please visit our updated contact page for the most relevant contact information for your query.
The transfer of some regulatory responsibilities from the Ministry of Education to ERO took effect on 1 September 2026.
ERO is now responsible for a range of regulatory functions relating to early learning services, kōhungahunga, and certified playgroups. This includes responsibilities such as licensing, certification, compliance monitoring, responding to incidents and complaints, and enforcement activities.
For most parents, whānau and caregivers, there will be little visible change. Early learning services are still required to meet the same regulatory requirements and standards that help keep children safe and support high-quality learning.
If you have questions about regulatory requirements, want to raise a concern, or would like information about how an issue may be managed, ERO is now your place to go.
The transfer of some regulatory responsibilities from the Ministry of Education to ERO took effect on 1 September 2026.
ERO is now responsible for a range of regulatory functions relating to private schools and school hostels, alongside its existing review and evaluation role.
For most parents and whānau, there will be little visible change. Private schools and school hostels must continue to meet the same legal and regulatory requirements as before. What has changed is that ERO is now responsible for a number of regulatory functions that were previously carried out by the Ministry of Education.
If you have questions about regulatory requirements, wish to raise a concern, or would like information about how an issue may be managed, ERO is now your place to go.
From 1 September 2026, ERO became responsible for a range of regulatory functions relating to private schools and school hostels.
For most learners, there will be little visible change. Your school or hostel must continue to meet the same requirements that help support your safety, wellbeing and education.
ERO continues to review and evaluate private schools and school hostels and now also carries out a range of regulatory functions that were previously the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.
If you have concerns about your private school or shcool hostel, want information about your rights, or have questions about how concerns are managed get in contact.
Please visit our updated contact page to find the best person to contact for your needs.
Keeping you informed
We are committed to providing clear and timely updates as more information becomes available.
You can:
Follow updates on this website.
Stay connected through ERO communications and sector updates.