Home education in Australia: registration yes, funding no

Australia has no education savings accounts. Home education is legal with state registration, but families pay all fees. Distance education is a separate public-school path.

Registration, not funding

Every state and territory requires registration. Parents apply to the state education authority with a plan that meets curriculum standards for the child's age. Queensland publishes its registration form and guide online. Estimates put registered students above 43,000, with more unregistered.

Registration brings oversight, not money. Home-educating families receive no state or federal funding, though they pay the same taxes that fund schools. One parent usually gives up a second income, which dwarfs every other fee of home education.

Distance education is different

Each state runs distance-education schools for isolated, travelling or medically exempt children, such as Sydney and Brisbane schools of distance education. These are public schools: free, teacher-led, set courses. They suit families who want school at home, not families who want to direct learning themselves.

Independent schools

Victoria publishes open Independent school locations, the source of our Australian rows. Fees are parent-paid. Some states part-fund independent schools per student, but none passes funds to home-educating parents.

Registration state by state

New South Wales registers through NESA with an authorised-person home visit for new applicants. Victoria registers through the VRQA with learning plans and yearly reviews. Queensland runs applications and reviews through its Home Education Unit with annual written reports. Start three months before you plan to begin; approvals take weeks, not days.

Keep work samples from day one. Most states ask for evidence of progress at review: dated work across the learning areas, reading logs and a brief diary. Organised records make renewal painless.

Spending wisely with no funding

With no funds coming in, families prioritise free curriculum (state syllabuses are public), library systems and second-hand markets. Paid vendors earn their place where they save parent time: a structured maths program, an online writing class, or exam marking. Compare vendors on this site by delivery and grades, then trial before committing to a full year.

What this directory lists in Australia

Our Australian rows name independent schools with streets, towns and coordinates. Program fields stay empty because no program reimburses these fees. Families use the rows to find schools and nearby vendors.