Homeschooling in Australia: the community, and who to register with in your state
Home education is lawful in every Australian state and territory, and growing fast. It is also regulated in every one of them, separately, by eight different bodies with eight different processes. This guide does two things: points you to the official registration page for your state or territory, and then shows you where the home-ed community is, because the registration form is the easy part. Finding your people is what makes it work.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and contact details change; the links below go to the official pages, which are the only source that counts.
Registration: one rule everywhere, eight ways to do it
In Australia, home education is a lawful alternative to school enrolment, but a child of compulsory school age must be either enrolled at a school or registered (or approved, or exempted) for home education. You cannot simply stop sending your child to school. Compulsory ages differ slightly but are broadly from about 6 to 17.
| State / territory | Who you register with | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | NSW Department of Education (regulation moved from NESA; the NESA Home Schooling Unit contacts were still in use at the time of writing) | nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/home-schooling |
| Victoria | Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) | vrqa.vic.gov.au/register-home-educate |
| Queensland | Queensland Home Education (Department of Education) | qld.gov.au/education/schools/information/programs/homeed |
| Western Australia | Department of Education, via your regional education office and a home education moderator | education.wa.edu.au/register-for-home-education |
| South Australia | Department for Education, Home Education unit (an exemption from school attendance, applied for online) | sa.gov.au: home education |
| Tasmania | Office of the Education Registrar (OER) | service.tas.gov.au: apply for home education |
| ACT | ACT Education Directorate, Home Education team | act.gov.au: home education |
| Northern Territory | NT Department of Education (approval, renewed each year) | nt.gov.au: home education |
A few points that trip people up:
- Keep your child enrolled until you're approved where the state requires it (the NT page is explicit about this; others have provisional registration while you wait).
- Most states want a learning plan or program summary and some visit or meet you (NSW, WA, TAS, NT). Victoria and the ACT register for up to two years; Queensland and the NT want an annual report or renewal.
- Deadlines after leaving school exist in some states (WA has historically asked for registration within 14 days of the last day at school). Check the official page.
- The national association is the Home Education Association (hea.edu.au), which keeps state-by-state summaries and runs a support network.
For a side-by-side with the UK and Spain, see how to start home education in the UK, Spain and Australia.
Where the homeschool community in Australia is
Australia has one of the most organised home-ed scenes anywhere, partly because distance forces it. Look in this order:
State and regional networks
Every state has a long-running network or association, some decades old: for example the Home Education Network in Victoria (home-ed.vic.edu.au), and HEA's state groups. These run camps, excursions, co-ops and the big annual events. They are the right first stop for the "what's on near me" question.
Facebook groups, by region
As in the UK, most week-to-week organising happens on Facebook. There are groups for every capital, most regional centres and many suburbs, plus topic groups (natural learning, Charlotte Mason, secular, faith-based, teens, SEN). Search "[your city or region] homeschool" and "[your state] home education".
Weekday sessions at venues
Museums, science centres, pools, indoor play centres, climbing gyms and farms run term-time daytime sessions for home-educated children, especially in the capitals and the larger coastal towns. The parents there are your neighbours in home ed.
Co-ops and learning hubs
Shared teaching days, often with a hired hall, a timetable and a termly fee. They range from a weekly park day to near-full-time programs. Ask the regional network which ones have children your children's ages.
Family-matching apps
PipsVillage shows you home-educating families within your chosen radius, with their children's ages and interests, one card at a time. Heart the ones that fit; when they heart you back, chat and propose a meet-up with a place, a date and a note. Events hosted by families near you (a creek walk, a museum morning, a book swap) sit in the same app, and anyone can RSVP. For families outside the cities, Near & Far (on the Village plan) finds families online with children the same age, and lets you meet families in a town you're moving to before you get there. It's free to join: how it works · install on your phone.
Distance is the Australian problem
A regional family may have no other home educators within an hour. Three things help: widen the radius and treat a monthly long drive as the price of a good friendship; build online friendships with families whose children match (video calls, shared projects, pen pals); and plan trips around meet-ups, so a visit to the city doubles as a social week. Our guide to finding homeschool families near you goes into the practical side.
Frequently asked questions
Is homeschooling legal in Australia?
Yes, in every state and territory, provided you register with (or are approved or exempted by) your state or territory's education authority. Links above.
Do I have to follow the Australian Curriculum?
Requirements differ by state. Several expect your program to address the key learning areas of the Australian Curriculum or an approved alternative; others are more flexible. Your state's official page sets this out.
How do I find homeschool families near me in Australia?
State networks (HEA and state associations), regional Facebook groups, weekday venue sessions, and PipsVillage, which matches families by distance and children's ages.
Can I homeschool part-time and send my child to school part-time?
Some states allow a part-time arrangement agreed with the school principal (the ACT, for example). Check your state's official page.