The Homeschool Map

Registration, state by state.

Home education is legal in every Australian state, and registering is simpler than it looks. Whether your child is fourteen or hasn't started school yet, here is the whole process, step by step.

Homeschooling in Australia

It's legal everywhere. The process varies by state.

Every state has its own registration authority and process. Click your state to see the steps. And then read the box below, because it's simpler than it looks.

Before you read the state detail

The steps below look official. They are. But most families who have done this handled the whole registration in a few days, not months. There are templates for every form. The homeschooling community in Australia is experienced and generous with its time.

One thing most parents don't know about the learning plan: you are required to submit one, but you are not legally required to follow it. Under Australian education law (the relevant state Education Acts), the obligation on parents is to provide learning opportunities and to be able to show that progress is occurring. There is no requirement that a specific curriculum was delivered, or that progress was made to any particular standard. Experienced homeschoolers know this. Most first-timers don't.

Ask your questions in these active Australian communities:

What's the same everywhere in Australia

  • Home education is legal in all 8 states and territories
  • No teaching qualifications required anywhere. Not one state.
  • Registration is compulsory before you withdraw your child from school
  • All states require your program to address eight broad outcome areas (English, Maths, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Arts, Languages, Health, Technologies). What counts as evidence of learning is much broader than most parents realise.
  • No state requires you to purchase a packaged curriculum. You design it yourself.
  • NAPLAN is voluntary for home educated students in all states
  • Every state has pathways for homeschooled students to access university, if this is the path of choice
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Registration required before starting
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No teaching degree needed anywhere
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University access preserved
New South Wales
Registered with: NSW Department of Education
More structured requirements
Compulsory age: 6-17 Registration: Every 2 years Contact: homeschooling@det.nsw.edu.au
1
Plan your educational program based on NESA syllabuses, covering the 8 learning areas for your child's year level.
2
Submit application online via the NSW Home Schooling Platform. Create an account and upload your program documentation.
3
Assessment by an Authorised Person from the Department. This may be an in-person or remote review of your program (not your child being tested).
4
Receive certificate of registration. Valid for up to 2 years. Renew before expiry. Notify the Department immediately if your address changes.

HSC access: Via the self-tuition pathway through NESA (limited subject range) or by enrolling part-time in TAFE NSW or a registered distance education provider for full HSC access. Phone: 02 9367 8149.

Official NSW registration page →
Victoria
Registered with: VRQA (Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority)
Flexible and free
Compulsory age: 6-17 Registration: Free, ongoing with annual renewal Contact: home.schooling@education.vic.gov.au
1
Download the VRQA registration form from the VRQA website. Complete Part A (parent/guardian) and Part B (child details, up to 2 children per form).
2
Prepare a Learning Plan addressing all 8 learning areas. Victoria is flexible: instruction can be parent-led, group-based, community activities, or tutoring by others.
3
Attach identity documents: child's birth certificate and your proof of parental responsibility (birth certificate, Medicare card, or court orders).
4
Submit by email to home.schooling@education.vic.gov.au. VRQA assesses within 28 days and notifies in writing. Registration is free and ongoing once granted.
5
Annual renewal: By 30 November each year, notify VRQA in writing that home schooling will continue the following year. Notify within 14 days if you stop.

VCE access: Via Virtual School Victoria (VSV) after 12 months of VRQA registration. Individual VCE subjects available. VET qualifications also accessible alongside or instead of VCE. Phone: 03 9637 2806.

Official VRQA home education page →
Queensland
Registered with: Queensland Home Education (QHE), Dept of Education
Flexible program design
Compulsory age: 5.5-18 Registration: Annual reporting required Contact: homeeducation@qed.qld.gov.au / 1800 677 176
1
Confirm eligibility: child aged 5.5-18, not currently enrolled in a school, parent/guardian residing in QLD.
2
Download and complete the Application for Registration for Home Education form from the QHE website. Attach a certified copy of the child's birth certificate.
3
Submit your Education Program: a written plan showing your educational approach constitutes a "high-quality education." QLD does not mandate strict Australian Curriculum alignment; you design from your child's needs and interests.
4
Await written decision from QHE. Annual reporting is required once registered. Inform QHE within 10 business days if the child ceases home education.

QCE access: Via the Senior External Examination (SEE) for students aged 17+. Results count toward Queensland Certificate of Education and ATAR calculations. Financial support: Back to School Boost and Textbook Allowance available for eligible registered families.

Official QLD home education page →
South Australia
Registered with: SA Department for Education, Home Education Unit
Exemption-based process
Compulsory age: 6-17 Registration: Annual review Contact: homeeducation@sa.gov.au
1
Important first step: SA calls this an "exemption from compulsory school attendance." Your child must be enrolled in a local school while you apply. Keep that enrolment active until the exemption is granted.
2
Submit an initial request form via the SA Government website. You'll receive an online application form by email from the Home Education Unit.
3
Complete the application including: subject outlines (aligned with Australian Curriculum), resources, learning goals, teaching methods, analysis of your child's strengths and learning style, evidence of your child's involvement in program design, and both parents' consent signatures.
4
Meet your Home Education Officer for an assessment meeting. A 4-week initial exemption is available while your full application is processed so you don't have to wait.
5
Annual review: Submit a Home Education Review Form with evidence of learning (portfolio, work samples, learning journals) before your exemption expires.

SACE access: Via the Open Access College, which allows home educated students to enrol in SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) subjects part-time or full-time. A well-established pathway in SA.

Official SA home education page →
Western Australia
Registered with: WA Department of Education (via your local Regional Office)
Annual moderation visits
Compulsory age: 5.5-17.5 years Registration: Annual evaluation by moderator Register within 14 days of leaving school
1
Contact your local Education Regional Office to obtain a registration form. Find your regional office via the WA Department of Education website.
2
Complete the registration form providing: email, phone, child's birth certificate, your name and child's name, WA residential address, proof of guardianship if applicable.
3
Receive your certificate of registration. If removing a child from a WA school, register within 14 days. For new school year, register by the last Friday in February.
4
Initial evaluation by a home education moderator within 3 months of registration. Annual evaluations thereafter (must be scheduled at least 21 days in advance). Bring evidence of your child's learning and progress.

WACE access: Enrol through SIDE (School of Isolated and Distance Education) while maintaining home education registration. Murdoch University offers fee-free OnTrack Flex and K-Track enabling programs specifically for home educated teens. Post-compulsory participation requirement (education, training, or employment) applies from age 15-17.

Official WA home schooling page →
Tasmania
Registered with: Office of the Education Registrar (OER)
Flexible and supportive
Compulsory age: 5-18 Registration: Annual HESP renewal Contact: registrar@oer.tas.gov.au / 6165 6135
1
Download the Home Education Application Form from the OER website (available in Word and PDF). Complete and sign.
2
Prepare a Home Education Program (HEP): a written plan outlining what your child will learn and how you'll support their learning. Two templates available: simple or expanded with guiding prompts. Requirements are flexible.
3
Submit to the OER for assessment. Each child is registered individually.
4
Annual renewal: Complete a Home Education Summary and Program (HESP), documenting what your child learned last year and the plan for next year. Three HESP templates available. At Year 10 equivalent (age 16), notify the Registrar of your continued approach or transition plan.

TCE access: Via TasTAFE or partial school enrolment alongside home education. Years 9-12 programs can incorporate School-based Apprenticeships and work placement. TAS has the most flexible teen-year approach of any state.

Official TAS OER home education page →
Australian Capital Territory
Registered with: ACT Education Directorate
Flexible, collaborative review
Compulsory age: 6-17 Registration: Every 2 years Contact: HomeEd@act.gov.au
1
Submit registration application with certified proof of parental responsibility (birth certificate or Medicare card), certified proof of child's identity (birth certificate or passport), and certified proof of ACT residence (driver's licence, rental agreement, or utility bill).
2
You may begin home educating immediately upon submitting the application. Await approval within 28 days.
3
Within 3 months of approval: submit a Statement of Intent (your educational approach, focusing on spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and intellectual needs) and attend a videoconference with an Authorised Person from the Directorate.
4
Annual Home Education Report by 31 December each year (intellectual, social/emotional, and physical development). Annual review with a Home Education Officer. Families describe these as collaborative and supportive, not adversarial.

BSSS credential access: Via CIT (Canberra Institute of Technology) or as an external student with the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies. Note: from 1 January 2025, you must notify the Directorate within 28 days if you unenrol from school, end home education, or cease distance education.

Official ACT home education page →
Northern Territory
Registered with: NT Department of Education
Most documentation required
Compulsory age: approx. 6-17 Registration: Annual reapplication required Contact: doe@education.nt.gov.au
1
Stay enrolled in school until approval is confirmed. The NT requires approval before withdrawal.
2
Apply via Territory Services or email doe@education.nt.gov.au to request the form. Complete one form per child.
3
Submit a learning plan using the NT Department template (provided on request). Include a few photos of your learning space and a basic timetable.
4
Await approval. A home visit may occur. Renew annually. Note: the NT does not permit home education while travelling full-time.

The NT has the most detailed requirements of any state. The homeschooling community can help with templates and what to expect. CDU and TAFE NT are both accessible without Year 12.

Official NT home education page →
Showing progress

When you need to show the curriculum is covered.

Curriculum Bridge takes what your child did this week and maps it to curriculum outcomes, so the record builds itself from life, not worksheets.

Try Curriculum Bridge →
For teens

Registration is the small part.

For a teenager, the bigger question is what the years after school look like: university without an ATAR, income, purpose. The Map covers all of it.

The Map: Teen Pathways Beyond School →