Is Homeschooling Legal in Australia?

Yes. Homeschooling is legal across Australia when parents follow the applicable requirements of their state or territory. Registration processes, planning, record keeping, reporting, and compulsory schooling ages vary. Check your authority’s guidance for your child’s age, including any education, training, or employment requirements for older teenagers.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com offers courses from PreK through Grade 12, using US grade levels. This broadly spans Australia’s preschool through Year 12. Parents can choose the courses that fit their child and add other resources as needed to build a home education program that meets their state or territory’s requirements.

Understanding the Education Framework in Australia

Home education in Australia is administered at the state and territory level. Each has its own laws and procedures for registration or approval, educational planning, and review. Requirements may include:

• Applying for home education registration or an exemption from school attendance, following the process where you live.
• Providing a written learning plan that describes your child’s educational program and addresses the required learning areas.
• Keeping records of learning activities, work samples, and progress, and providing reports or participating in reviews when required.

Curriculum requirements also vary. Some authorities require programs based on the Australian Curriculum or their state’s syllabuses; others allow families to choose their own approach while covering specified learning areas. SchoolhouseTeachers.com courses are not mapped to the Australian Curriculum or individual state syllabuses. Parents can use them alongside other resources to build a program that covers their state or territory’s requirements.

Review schedules and arrangements differ, so check your state or territory’s official guidance when planning your program.

Find your state or territory’s education department in the “State and Territory Government Links” section about halfway down the Department of Education’s resources page.

Start Here: What You Get With SchoolhouseTeachers.com

A SchoolhouseTeachers.com membership is built to help you do two things well:

• Teach with confidence using complete, Christ-centered PreK–12 curriculum (roughly spanning preschool through Year 12)
• Document with confidence using simple tools that keep records clear and ready if you’re ever asked for proof

Everything Families Need—In One Membership:

Here’s what families rely on most for planning, teaching, and record keeping:

• COMPLETE PreK–12 CURRICULUM: Core subjects, electives, and Bible-based studies, all accessible under one family membership.
• EDUCATION PLAN BUILDER: Create a clear education plan listing ST courses and other resources you use. Keep the PDF for your records and use it to help prepare any learning plan your state or territory requires. It does not replace required official forms.
• RECORDS CENTER TOOLS: Helpful planning and documentation tools designed to keep your records organized and clear.
• SCHOOLHOUSE GRADEBOOK: Use printable, offline templates to record grades and attendance, prepare report cards, and create a transcript.
• APPLECORE RECORD KEEPING: Track attendance, grades, and progress online, and prepare report cards and/or transcripts as needed.
• PORTFOLIO BUILDER: Use templates to organize work samples, reading records, activities, and other evidence of learning for your family’s files.
• LETTER TEMPLATES (Use Only If Requested Locally): Professionally formatted templates that can help you communicate clearly with a school or education office when notice or confirmation is requested. They do not replace required official application forms.

Records Center tools and templates are presented in English and may be used as a model for families preparing documentation in their own language, according to local requirements.

Homeschool Record Keeping in 3 Simple Steps

Think: Confirm → Plan → Track

1Confirm Your State or Territory’s Requirements

Check your home education authority’s official guidance for the application process, required documents, curriculum expectations, and reporting or review arrangements. Follow its instructions about when your child may begin home education. Use the official application forms where required; the SchoolhouseTeachers.com letter templates do not replace them.

2Develop Your Education Plan

Prepare your child’s learning program according to your state or territory’s requirements. Our Education Plan Builder helps you:

• Choose from a list of SchoolhouseTeachers.com courses.
• Write in additional courses and resources, including those from third parties.
• Create plans for multiple children in one place.
• Receive a PDF by email to keep with your records and refer to when preparing your application.

Include any additional details your authority requires, such as learning goals, teaching methods, or ways to assess progress. Complete and submit the official application and supporting documents according to its instructions.

3Track Learning and Progress

Keep records of your child’s learning throughout the year. The Homeschool Records Center brings together tools to help you stay organized:

• Record attendance and grades and prepare report cards online with Applecore or offline with the Schoolhouse Gradebook printable templates.
• Print certificates of completion.
• Prepare transcripts as needed using printable Schoolhouse Gradebook templates or Applecore’s online tools.
• Organize work samples and track activities such as reading, community service, and field trips using Portfolio Builder templates.

Use your records to prepare any required progress reports or reviews, following your authority’s format and deadlines.

Remember: Registration and reporting requirements vary by state and territory. Always confirm submission steps with your home education authority.

When You Need Local Answers

State and Territory Authorities

Your state or territory’s home education authority can answer questions about applications, learning plans, and reporting or review requirements. Visit its official home education page:

• New South Wales – NSW Department of Education
• Queensland – Queensland Home Education
• Victoria – Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
• Western Australia – Department of Education WA
• South Australia – Department for Education: Home Education
• Tasmania – Service Tasmania: Apply for home education
• Northern Territory – Department of Education and Training
• Australian Capital Territory – ACT Education Directorate

Homeschooling Support in Australia

Families can connect with advocacy and support groups, such as:

• Home Education Association (HEA) – national advocacy and support.
• The Educating Parents – look for their homeschooling and unschooling group on Facebook.

Local homeschooling groups can also help families find community, activities, and encouragement.

Final Thoughts

Homeschooling in Australia is possible, rewarding, and fully legal when families follow registration and reporting processes. With the right tools and community support, you can provide your children with a high-quality, Christ-centered education at home.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

Let’s get started!

Blessings,

The SchoolhouseTeachers.com Team

Get Everything You Need—Join Today!

By becoming a SchoolhouseTeachers.com member, you’ll gain access to:

THE FULL CURRICULUM LIBRARY: Choose from hundreds of parent-led courses for all subjects from PreK to Grade 12.
THE EDUCATION PLAN BUILDER: Organize your courses and resources in a PDF to keep with your records and refer to when preparing required learning plans.
THE PORTFOLIO BUILDER: Use templates to organize work samples and learning records for your family’s files.
RECORD KEEPING TOOLS: Use Schoolhouse Gradebook printable templates or Applecore’s online tools to record attendance, grades, and progress.

Join today and homeschool with confidence!