New Zealanders are a well-educated people. The adult literacy rate (ability to read and write) is 99 percent.
Education is free and required for children between the ages of six and fifteen.
Most state schools are coeducational, but some private schools are not. For children in isolated areas,
a public correspondence school enables them to send
their homework assignments by mail.
In some regions there are special state schools for
Maori children, but most Maori children attend
public schools.