Home schooling

Parents may choose to home school their children in NSW. NESA regulates home schooling and registers eligible children. Find out about home schooling and the resources available to parents.

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Home schooling has moved to NSW Department of Education

The regulation of home schooling in NSW has moved from NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) to the NSW Department of Education, in line with the announcement by the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Prue Car.

Please continue to contact the Home Schooling Unit by email on homeschooling@nesa.nsw.edu.au and by telephone on 02 9367 8149. Your emails and telephone calls will be redirected to the team. New contact information will be published shortly.

Application processing timeframes

The Home Schooling Unit is currently processing a high volume of applications for home schooling registration. Application processing timeframes may be longer than usual, where it may take up to 12 weeks to complete the process from time of application to receipt of a certificate.

What is home schooling in NSW?

Parents in NSW are allowed to choose home schooling to provide for the compulsory schooling of their children. Home schooling means that the parent takes responsibility for educating their child, primarily in the child’s home.

To be home schooled, a child must:

  • be registered by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), and
  • reside in NSW.
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Guidelines for Home Schooling Registration in NSW

These guidelines describe NESA's requirements and processes for home schooling registration.

Read the Guidelines

Home schooling information

Applying to register for home schooling

Understand the process of registering your child for home schooling.

Educational programs and resources

Access syllabus information, help developing educational programs, and home schooling sample materials.

NESA support material

NESA provides resources to support applicants when preparing educational programs. Find support for your educational program.

Home Schooling Consultative Group

The group was established following the Legislative Council Inquiry into home schooling in NSW.

Curriculum reform for home schooling parents

Find out how the new syllabuses will impact your home schooling.

Contacts for home schooling and support organisations

Contact and support information for home schooling registration and general inquiries.

Stay informed with NESA newsletters

Subscribe to NESA newsletters for all the latest news, media releases and official notices. 

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Contact the home schooling team

You can contact the home schooling team by email or phone.

Stay connected

Keep in touch by following NESA on social media.

For more information on how to contact a specific team or make a complaint, visit NESA's contact us page.

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