Homeschool Australia Getting Approval to Homeschool Your Children Legal Issues Articles Index

Getting Approval to Homeschool Your Children

Please note: the information on this website is opinion, written by parents without legal qualifications. Always seek qualified legal advice if in any doubt as to your legal position.

The articles in this section complement each other. Although there may be some overlap with information each articles has relevant information that we consider useful for families to consider BEFORE contacting the educational authorities.

Is it Legal? Getting Approval to Home Educate in Australia
How To Deal with Registration and Bullying tactics by School Principals and Education Authorities
Is it possible to deregister and therefore become a unregistered homeschooler? Beverley Paine

Links to State-specific Information
For more information please visit the Home Education Association of Australia web site.

NSW
Board of Studies Manuals and Guides - .pdf files covering Home Education Study and Consultation.
Enrolment of Students Policy - NSW Department of Education & Training.
Legal Requirements and Registration in NSW - an article by Janelle Hardy that covers all aspects.

SA
Many families in South Australia apply for exemption from attending school and are member of the online support group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/home-education-sa/ The group is a good source of up-to-date information about families' experiences with this process. Read through the archived messages or send a post to the group introducing yourself and asking any questions that you may have.
Education Department information posted about getting exempted.
Parents should notify the Principal of their local school that they intend withdrawing your children from regular attendance for the purposes of home education and that they have applied to the Minister of Education for approval for exemption from attendance at school for each of their children. Most parents withdraw their children immediately although the process indicates that they continue to attend school during the application approval process.

TAS
Tasmanian Department of Education Online - Home Schooling
Tasmania Online Home - Home Schooling
THEAC Home Page - 'Information and support for parents interested in educating at home'.

WA
Guide for Home Educators - Ed Dept guide designed to help parents to understand how home education operates
in Western Australia.
Regulatory Framework

QLD
Links to preface, procedure and schedule for homeschooling dispensation

VIC
HEN - Home Education Network, Victoria, Australia
Law in Victoria, The - the legality of home schooling in Victoria.

ACT
Homeschooling Exemption Policy and Mandatory Procedures (.pdf)

NT
Home Education - contact information, application, conditions and booklet

The arrival of a legal advisory service website has caused considerable concern in the homeschooling community. See my blog on this topic. For an interesting article on the topic of home education and incidences of child abuse, please read this article by John Peacock, Australian home education researcher and father of three decades homeschooling experience.

see the SITEMAP for a complete list of the articles archived on this site

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Please note: the information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice.

Beverley Paine is committed to supporting home educating parents who practice non-violent and attachment parenting. Since 1989 she has worked towards the goal of the establishment of consistent and transparent guidelines and regulations for the provision of home education, including being a member of a legislative review panel considering home schooling in South Australia.
Her approach is inclusive and seeks to build bridges between disparate groups.
Her desire is to help families grow towards enlightened parenting and educational practices that respect and honour the individual learning and developmental needs of all children. She has worked with teachers and bureaucrats in schools for improvements in school education as well as with teachers, bureaucrats and home educators for improvements in the provision of home education.
Beverley began writing for home educators in 1989 an continues to add to her growing collection of homeschooling and unschooling titles. Her aim is to demystify the education process and make it accessible to all parents. She began home educating her children when it was almost unheard of in Australia and is a passionate advocate of true educational choice for families. She shares her perspective as well as great ideas to motivate and help you enjoy this wonderful family adventure through articles and books and online at www.homeschoolaustralia.com. Enjoy!

You can post your homeschooling questions on the HomeschoolAustraliaFAQ online support group and Beverley Paine, homeschooling author and publisher with two decades of home educating experience together with other homeschooling parents will do their best to answer them for you.

"I am really enjoying the posts... Thanks for the inspirations and thought provoking passages." Rebecca

"I think it's just so fantastic to have advocates like you who promote homeschooling the way you do." Kim

"I have only recently discovered this group also and have received much support from all the ideas put forward by so many intelligent, wise and open minded people. The practical support is very thorough and realistic too." Sophie

Beverley invites you to visit her Australian K-12 Home School Curriculum. Continually under construction, this website offers articles and checklists in all subject areas based on Beverley's personal homeschool experience: http://australianhomeschoolcurriculum.com/

Buy Beverley's books on homeschooling from the Always Learning Books website. Her books are full of practical and useful ideas to motivate and help you on this wonderful family adventure.