Deciding to home educate

W​hat is home education

In Victoria, home education or home schooling means that a parent or both parents assume the overall responsibility for their child’s educational program.

The law says that any child of compulsory school age (6–17 years) who is being educated at home must be registered with the VRQA; Victoria’s home education regulator.

There’s a great deal of flexibility in home education arrangements. You can choose or design an educational program that is best suited to your child or family circumstance.

Home education is different to distance education. Distance education is conducted by the ​Virtual School Victoria and provides flexible learning to Victorian ​Foundation–Year 12 students who are unable to attend mainstream schooling. The Virtual School Victoria follows the Victorian curriculum which is taught by teachers.

It is not possible to register your child for both home and dist​ance education.

For information about distance education, see:

There is also the option to combine school and home education under an arrangement called partial enrolment. For information about combining school and home education, see:

Am I eligible?

You can register your child for home education if:

  • your child is aged 6–17 years, or if they turn 6 in the year home education will commence
  • your residential address is in Victoria.

You will need to provide documentation confirming your child’s eligibility for home education, such as a copy of their birth certificate.

When can I start?

Your child can be home educated through the compulsory schooling phase. For Victoria, this is from ages 6 to 17.

The earliest your child can commence home schooling registration is the beginning of the year in which they turn 6. Alternatively, you can wait till their sixth birthday to commence. Your child should be registered and receiving home schooling instruction by their sixth birthday.

Getting started in home education

To get started in home education, you’ll need to apply for registration. Registration involves submitting an application with a learning plan and the necessary documentation such as proof of identity.

A good starting point is the Department of Education's Guide to Home Educa​tion in Victoria. The guide has information on the requirements for home education and outlines:

  • ​considering to home educate
  • register​ing for home schooling
  • requirements for educational programs at home
  • reviews of home schooling programs
  • educational resources and other support available to home education parents
  • post-school pathways for home educated students
  • useful contacts.

For a copy of the guide, see:

For more information on registering or the VRQA’s role in home e​ducation, see: