Preparing an application

Registration for home education is a full-time option available for parents to educate their child. Other educational options include enrolment in either:

• a mainstream school (either state or non-state)
• a school of distance education.

For a child in the compulsory participation phase, it may be possible for them to pursue participation in another eligible learning option.

Parents with school-based concerns are advised to contact the school’s principal initially to discuss the many specialists who can provide educational support and guidance. A solution may be found without withdrawing your child from school. If serious and ongoing circumstances exist, you should contact your Regional Education Office.

For more personal concerns that may be affecting your child or your family, help may be obtained by visiting your GP, other specialists, government agencies or counselling services.

No. There is no fee to register your child for home education. However, applicants should consider the hidden costs associated with this form of education, including:

• any possible impact on employment when becoming a home educator
• your ability to fund access to a variety of educational resources
• the cost of accessing specialist services or funding which may have been available within mainstream schooling systems, but are no longer available to you as a home educator.

There are 2 types of application methods possible. The first is applying for registration under section 208 of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (the Act) using the online Application for registration for home education. Please note that there is a temporary form for use during the COVID-19 pandemic that removes the requirement for certification and witnessing of documents at this time. Provisional registration under section 212 of the Act is usually issued upon receipt of the application by the Home Education Unit (HEU). The application is then processed and if all procedural requirements are met and the chief executive is satisfied the standard conditions of registration will be complied with, registration is granted. The provisional registration expires if the registration is granted.

The second method involves an application for provisional registration only. This application is made under section 207 of the Act. The provisional registration issued with this application automatically ends after 60 days. The child is not granted registration for home education. The first method generally streamlines the registration process and means that the parent does not have to make 2 applications. Please contact the HEU if you require further information.

It is recommended that a child remain enrolled at school until the day you can provide the Home Education Unit (HEU) with all necessary documents described in the application form. Please ensure that you have obtained the required signatures and certifications (note: the requirement for certification and witnessing of documents has been temporarily removed due to the COVID-19 pandemic). When you are satisfied that your documentation is in order, submit the application to the HEU. Only at this time should you end your child's school enrolment. A child cannot be simultaneously enrolled at a school and provisionally registered or registered for home education.

After submission of the application for registration, provisional registration is usually issued within a week or so of receipt. A notice of the provisional registration is emailed to the applicant. (Postal delivery is available if required.)

Once you have submitted the application you should commence teaching your child at home in accordance with the program you have prepared. The chief executive has 90 days to make a decision on the application, and the decision time frame may be influenced by the material provided with the application in regards to procedural and other requirements.

You will be contacted and given written advice if further information is necessary.

Applicants are urged to check email or postal mail regularly throughout the application process. To ensure you receive relevant communications from the HEU, it is essential that you inform the HEU if your contact details change.

A notice granting provisional registration is issued indicating you have applied to register your child for home education. A certificate of registration for home education is issued for your child, and emailed to you if the registration is granted.

If official documentation has not been received from the HEU at a time that it is required by an authority, please contact the HEU so confirmation of your application can be arranged.

Yes. Should registration be refused, an information notice is emailed or posted to you and you will have a right to request a review of the decision.

Yes. Before deciding to purchase privately produced or commercial curriculum materials for your child, it is recommended that you carefully consider your child's specific learning goals and their preferred learning style.

It is recommended that you invest considerable time evaluating the worth of any resource that you are considering purchasing. Given the wide range of low cost or free educational materials, you may find the purchase of a 'ready-made' curriculum an unnecessary or limiting approach to home education. If you base your child's home education around a 'ready-made' curriculum, you may be asked for further information such as how the program caters for your child’s learning needs and your role in supporting and implementing the purchased materials.

Textbooks may be a resource that can be utilised in your child's home education program. However, in order to provide a variety of well-chosen learning opportunities, it is recommended that home education programs are not entirely based around textbooks. Instead, these programs should reflect the use of a variety of resources which together satisfy your child's learning needs. The regular inclusion of practical, hands-on tasks may enhance learning and maintain your child's interest in their education.

If you need more information about planning your child's program, please contact an education officer at the Home Education Unit who will be able to offer suggestions, directions and information as you prepare the application. The HEU will not provide a program or provide school work for your child.