Applying for a home education exemption in South Australia

Check your child can be home educated

Children in their compulsory school years, 6 to 17. Your child needs to be enrolled at a South Australian school first.

Plan a learning program for 12 months

It needs to address all 8 learning areas of the Australian Curriculum, with topics, activities and resources for each.

Write 3 learning goals for each child

The application asks you to identify them.

Decide how you'll monitor progress

The application asks what strategies and tools you'll use, like a portfolio of annotated work samples or completed workbooks.

Show the rest of the picture

Suitable resources, a suitable learning environment and opportunities for social interaction.

Gather your documents

A copy of your child's birth certificate, consent from every parent with parental responsibility where possible, and any relevant court orders or parenting plans.

Request the online application form

Use the department's request web form. The application itself is completed online.

Finish the application within 14 days

An application that's still incomplete 14 days after you submit it may be declined.

Keep your child at school for now

They keep attending their enrolled school until an exemption is granted. You can ask the principal for a 4-week exemption while you wait.

A home education officer gets in touch

To arrange a home visit in business hours during school terms. Sometimes it's a virtual meeting instead.

Make sure your child is there

Your child needs to be at the meeting and available for discussion.

Watch for the letter

You're told the outcome by letter, with the exemption details, terms and conditions.

Keep evidence as you go

At review time you show the program was regularly put into practice. Evidence of literacy and numeracy comes first.

Tell the Home Education unit about changes

In writing, by email or post, within 14 days.

Moving, or going back to school?

The exemption ends if your child returns to school or you move to another state or country.

Complete the review form

Renewing the exemption means completing and submitting a home education review form.

Have your review meeting at home

A home education officer contacts you to arrange it before the exemption expiry date.

Stay in touch around the expiry date

If the department can't contact you, you're unavailable for the visit or the form is incomplete 7 days after expiry, the exemption isn't renewed.