Access keys | Skip to primary navigation | Skip to secondary navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer |
Problems viewing this site
Link to Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)
Home | Site map | Contact us | for
Department Education, Training and the Arts Queensland
Home Education in Queensland > Frequently asked questions >

About other support

Am I eligible for financial assistance from the Department of Education, Training and the Arts because I am home schooling my child?

No.

Is my child issued an ID Card?

Yes. Arrangements can be made with the Home Education Unit to issue an ID card for your child. The card is valid for a year and expires on the anniversary date each year. It is necessary for you to email an electronic photo of your child to the Unit.

Am I eligible for a textbook allowance for my child?

Yes. A textbook and resources allowance (TRA) is payable to a parent whose child is registered for home education and if they are studying the equivalent Years 8 to 12. Once a registration is complete or once a continuing registration is complete, a parent is notified by the Home Education Unit of the potential payment and arrangements are made. If a child is registered part way through a year having previously been enrolled at a school, a parent would not be eligible for a TRA payment for that year as it would have already been paid to the school.

Is it possible for my child to sit for the Year 3, 5 or 7 literacy and numeracy tests?

Yes. Provided your child has registration for home education and permission from a school principal for your child to take part in the tests at the school site, your child is able to sit for the Years 3, 5 or 7 tests. You will require a letter of introduction from the Home Education Unit. Prior to the tests in August all parents with children in these year levels are contacted with written information about the process.

Can my child access dental services if they are registered for home education?

Yes. If requested, the Home Education Unit will make arrangements through the School Dental Services and provide your child with a letter of introduction to be presented to the Oral Health Unit nearest your home. Appointments are then made by you directly with the Oral Health Unit.

Can my child participate in Work Experience?

Yes. As the educator of your child, it will be your responsibility to make all the contacts and arrangements for this work experience. The Department of Education, Training and the Arts will provide WorkCover for your child. A form and information about this cover is available from HEU.

Will my child receive an OP if they continue to home educate to Year 12?

No. If you want your child to receive an OP, you should contact a school of distance education, state school or non-state school and enrol the young person for years 11 and 12. TAFE also offer courses of study that may lead to the granting of an OP.

Will my child be able to access a school based apprenticeship?

No. They would need to return to the school system for this option

Is Youth Allowance available to home educated students?

Yes, in some circumstances. An application is assessed through Centrelink and is subject to their policy in relation to family income. Centrelink will not pay Youth Allowance to a family of a home educated child unless the child is registered for home education. The Home Education Unit does not seek out information on your entitlements. If Centrelink does pay a youth allowance it simply requires confirmation of the registration from the Home Education Unit each term.

Is Assistance for Isolated Children available to home educated students?

Yes, in some circumstances. An application is assessed through Centerlink and is subject to their policy. The Home Education Unit does not seek out information on your entitlements.

Through the Home Education Unit, a learning account is opened for my registered child when they turn 15 and as they enter the senior phase of learning. Why do they do this?

It is a requirement that all Queensland children in this age group have a learning account opened for them with Queensland Studies Authority. Banking of credits in this account allows the young person to be eligible for a Queensland Certificate of Education.

What is the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)?

The QCE is a qualification awarded to young people at the completion of the compulsory participation phase, usually at the end of Year 12 (or later if not complete by then). It confirms a student's achievement of:

What is a 'learning account'?

All learning undertaken within the guidelines that surround the allocation of a QCE is recorded in a learning account opened with the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA). These achievements then convert to credits. As activities and studies are completed, the credits are banked. When it reaches a total of 20 (with at least 12 of these coming from 'core studies') a student is eligible for the QCE. A learning account remains open until the learning requirements are met and closes as soon as a QCE is awarded. An account can remain open indefinitely if learning credits are not being banked. Banking can occur even after the young person has left the school or home schooling environment.

Can my child get a QCE if they are registered for home education?

Although the work your child does at home is not directly transferable to the QCE, by participating in various moderated activities, your child can earn credit points which can be 'banked' towards this certificate. Obtaining a pass in the following learning activities may enable home educated children to bank points towards the QCE:

What is a negotiated Workplace, Community or Self-directed project?

This is a new area of learning that can count towards the QCE. A young person, school or community organization can work with a QSA delegate to develop a learning project. This will count as a single credit when the negotiated learning has taken place and evidence of learning has been validated by the QSA delegate.

^ Top of page

Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy | Access keys | Other languagesOther languages

© The State of Queensland (Department of Education, Training and the Arts) 2006.

Queensland Government