home school / Unschool Registration process in
This is a guide to help you understand the homeschool registration process in Victoria - to Unschool it is the same process
-
Victoria is considered a easy state for homeschool registration, you only apply for registration once
-
There is - no having to resend a new learning plan each year,its a simple as emailing VRQA telling them you wish to keep homeschooling each year to stay registered
-
You are allowed to travel and homeschool - as long as you have a Vic home address to return to
-
There is no house visits - most communication with VRQA is by email,
-
They have learning plan templates to copy - easy to fill out for your learning plan
-
Only 10% registered home schoolers are picked a year for review of learning plan samples- and this can be sent via email aswell,if you are picked - you are exempt for review for a further 2 years after
-
The Victoria education department excepts natural learning / unschooling as a learning methodolgy
-
It can take upto 1 month for approval of homeschool registration in VIC but usually much lesser
Did you know?
Parent submits application form to VRQA -
(Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority) - -The Application for Registration for Home Schooling Application form
(upto 2 children per application is allowed - if you have more ,then you must complete another separate application form for them)
included with this you send ID that shows you have parental responsibility and shows childs DOB -this can be from a copy of
a medicare card,childs birth certificate or a health care card with both you and your childs name listed, - ID is required for each child you are homeschooling
You attach a copy of your learning plan - also one for each child you plan to homeschool -this is all sent
via online/ email to the VRQA email
Only the parent/caregiver who intends to homeschool needs to sign the application
if there is a court order in place and it is equal / shared care then both parents signatures are required - you will need to attach the court order to the application- any of the following is acceptable • a parenting order • an intervention order • a child protection order (however described).
More info on how to write a
Once you send all your required documents and home education application form via email,the education department will go through and make a decision wether it is complete or they require further information.This can take upto 28 days until your approved as a home educator and recieve your registration certificate.It is anticipated that the majority of applications will not require 28 days to be assessed. For some applications the registration process will be very quick and for others it may take longer, in particular where the initial application is incomplete.Once the VRQA has your completed documents they will notify you of the timeframe - via email/writing
Usually within 28days you will receive notification via writing (email) that your learning plan has been approved and you are a registered home- schooler, - if your application was denied, you can ask to have it reviewed, or address any outstanding areas of non-compliance and submit a fresh application.
Once you are approved,you then can contact your childs current school principle telling them you are registered as a home educator and can legally pull your child out of school.
In Victoria you have to notify the VRQA department each year before the 30th November notifying them that you intend to continue to homeschool for the next year period - you do this by writing ( email)-usually they will notify you beforehand asking if you are continuing with homeschool ( via email), by replying to this keeps you on their registration list - you will not need to send in another learning plan for the following year.
Every year the VRQA randomly selects 10% of homeschool registered familys for a review -The review is to check whether you are providing regular education and your child is learning the 8 key learning areas ( following your learning plan) - VRQA usually notifies you in writing (email) if you are one of the selected families for review around Febuary, but the review wont take place until between April - October. VRQA will contact you closer to the review date to make prior arrangements.
The review process can be electronic, phone-based, face-to-face, or in some cases a combination of these.-This is up to you
Due to ongoing covid VRQAs preferred method is electronic- you can send through your child work samples and other evidence of your childs educational program is being delivered/ recorded via pdf form ( email) - soon after the review is completed VRQA will notify you of the outcome
Note: 1 child per family is selected for review only- if your family is selected and your review passes your whole family is exempt for review for a further 2 years
-
If you wish to have your child home schooled from the start of a school year, you need to register them for home schooling before the 30th November of the previous year. If an application for home schooling is submitted at some time during the school year, then your child must remain enrolled and attend a registered school until the VRQA notifies you of the approval of the registration application. NOTE: if your child needs to end school ASAP
the VRQA states- If a child is unable to attend school or receive instruction during the application period because of illness, stress, bullying, or other difficulties, accident, an unforeseen event, an unavoidable cause or a requirement to comply with another law, this could constitute a “reasonable excuse” from attending school. In this situation, the parents should raise their concerns with the principal and submit the excuse in writing.
children who are between 6 - 17 year olds are eligible for homeschool registration - if your child is turning 6 in the year of homeschool they are also eligible
your allowed to homeschool your child and have them partially enrolled in a school
-
you can apply for initial home school registration upto 6 months before you plan on starting to home educate
