Annual data is collected in an August census covering the previous year (collection year). A full dataset of the verified
2025 census data (PDF, 275KB) is available on the Department of Education website.
| 2025 | 3 August 2024 to 1 August 2025 |
| 2024 | 5 August 2023 to 2 August 2024 |
| 2023 | 6 August 2022 to 4 August 2023 |
| 2022 | 7 August 2021 to 5 August 2022 |
| 2021 | 8 August 2020 to 6 August 2021 |
Applications for registration for home education
There are 2 types of home education registrations:
- provisional registration under section 207 of the
Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (the Act)
- registration under section 208 of the Act.
The table below shows the number of applications for registration made per collection year for each registration type.
| s207 | 303 | 525 | 357 | 497 | 733 |
|---|
| s208 | 2,827 | 6,431 | 5,720 | 6,145 | 5,782 |
|---|
| Total | 3,130 | 6,956 | 6,077 | 6,642 | 6,515 |
|---|
Annual registration activity
The table below shows the number of active registrations, the number of commencing registrations and the number of ceasing registrations per collection year.
| Active registrations at census | 5,008 | 8,461 | 10,048 | 11,314 | 11,800 |
|---|
| Commencing registrations | 3,130 | 6,956 | 6,077 | 6,642 | 6,515 |
|---|
| Ceasing registrations# | 2,469 | 3,612 | 4,497 | 5,225 | 5,903 |
|---|
| Annual change | 16.54% | 68.95% | 18.76% | 12.60% | 4.30% |
|---|
Further information notices
Further information notices may be issued under section 210 and/or section 211 of the Act for applications made under section 208 of the Act. Notices are issued when an application for home education does not meet the
registration requirements.
A section 210 notice is issued when there is a procedural issue with the application, for example when an education program, or proof of age, is not provided.
A section 211 notice is issued when further information is required, typically in relation to the education program provided.
A combined section 210 and 211 further information notice is issued where the application does not meet the registration requirements and further information is required, usually about the education program.
The table below shows the number of further information notices issued in each collection year*.
| s210 | 653 | 2,014 | 1,840 | 2,180 | 1,726 |
|---|
| s211 | 339 | 653 | 810 | 1,025 | 1,098 |
|---|
| s210/s211 | 131 | 293 | 213 | 259 | 364 |
|---|
| Total | 1,123 | 2,960 | 2,863 | 3,464 | 3,188 |
|---|
Applications refused
A registration application is refused when the requirements of registration are not met, even after a further information notice has been issued.
The table below shows the total number of registration applications refused for each collection year*.
Annual reporting activity—reports received and assessed
Reports must be provided annually on the educational progress of the child, with an updated educational program for the following year.
Reports are received and assessed throughout the year so do not necessarily correlate with the number of active registrations as at Census.
The table below shows the number of reports received and assessed through a collection year*.
| Received | 3,151 | 3,829 | 6,265 | 7,408 | 8,232 |
|---|
| Assessed | 2,935 | 3,758 | 5,562 | 6,783 | 7,615 |
|---|
Show cause notices
A show cause notice may be issued where a condition of registration is not met, for example, no annual written report about educational progress.
The table below shows the number of show cause notices issued per collection year for non-submission of the annual report, and for other reasons*.
| No report | 499 | 698 | 1,524 | 1,828 | 2,159 |
|---|
| Other | 29 | 86 | 100 | 164 | 207 |
|---|
| Total | 528 | 784 | 1,624 | 1,992 | 2,366 |
|---|
Cancellations
A registration is cancelled if the requirements of registration are not met, after the show cause notice, and also after a registration cancelled notice is issued.
Parents are provided with an opportunity for a review of the decision to cancel the registration.
The table below shows the number of registrations cancelled in each collection year*.
| No report | 181 | 203 | 435 | 429 | 614 |
|---|
| Other | 10 | 20 | 30 | 38 | 72 |
|---|
| Total | 191 | 223 | 465 | 467 | 686 |
|---|
| Proportion of active registrations | 4% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 6% |
|---|
Source—new registrations for home education
The table below is based on information parents provided when applying for home education registration*. Parents may indicate their child’s previous education experience.
'From school' means the parent told us their child was previously enrolled in a primary or secondary school.
'Other' means the parent told us their child was previously not of school age, the family moved from interstate or overseas, the child was previously registered for home education, or the parent did not provide any information.
| 2025 | 4,361 | 1,421 |
|---|
| Percentage | 75.42% | 24.58% |
|---|
Destination—ceasing home education registration
The table below is based on information parents provided when ceasing home education registration*.
'To school' means the parent told us they enrolled their child at a primary or secondary school.
'Other' means that the child was no longer age-eligible for home education, the family had moved interstate or overseas, the child was re-registered for home education, or the parent did not provide a reason for ceasing home education registration.
Note: This data is based on information provided by parents.
| 2025 | 1,993 | 3,910 |
|---|
| Percentage | 33.76% | 66.24% |
|---|
Notes:
# Includes cancellation, surrendered, refused or age ineligibility.
* Indicative data collected for administrative purposes only, not validated.