Distance education vs homeschooling in Australia: what's the difference?

• Distance education: your child is a school student. The school develops, delivers and assesses the learning program, and you supervise at home.
• Home education: your child is registered for home education instead of being enrolled at a school. You are responsible for planning, teaching and monitoring their learning.

NSW puts it plainly: in home schooling the parent is responsible for developing the teaching and learning program, while in distance education the school and teacher are responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating it. NSW also says children enrolled in a government or registered non-government school providing distance education don't need to be registered for home schooling.

Queensland's home education unit makes the same distinction. A distance education student's teacher monitors and reports on their progress, while a home education parent provides the education and submits an annual report. In Queensland a child can't be registered for home education and enrolled at a school at the same time.

Government distance education is usually not open to everyone. Most states treat it as a service for children who can't reasonably attend a local school, so you'll normally need to fit an eligibility category. Common categories include geographic isolation, travelling, medical or health reasons, elite sport or performance, and courses a local school can't offer. Here is a snapshot of each state's main provider:

• NSW: Distance education is run by Department of Education schools. Principals decide eligibility under the department's distance education enrolment procedures, with categories such as geographic isolation, medical conditions and other special circumstances. Single-course enrolment for Stages 5 and 6 is not available to children registered for home schooling.
• Queensland: Schools of distance education, such as Brisbane School of Distance Education, enrol students under set categories. Brisbane SDE also offers a home-based enrolment for families who don't meet another category, which can attract fees. A responsible adult must supervise and support home-based students each school day.
• Victoria: Virtual School Victoria (formerly Distance Education Centre Victoria) lists direct enrolment categories including medical, travel, elite sport or performance, distance, previous home schooler and young adult. Enrolment is for Victorian residents who can't access regular schooling for a minimum period.
• Western Australia: The School of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE) mainly serves students who can't attend their local public school because of distance, long-term travel, illness, or because they need courses their local school can't provide.
• South Australia: Open Access College is the department's distance school. Its enrolment criteria cover groups such as geographically isolated students and travelling families, and it lists students with a current exemption for home education among eligible groups.
• Northern Territory: Schools of the Air, such as Katherine School of the Air, cater for isolated students and NT residents who are temporarily travelling or based elsewhere.
• Tasmania: The Tasmanian eSchool delivers online learning, and students need to meet its enrolment criteria and be approved.

Categories and rules change each year, so check the school's current enrolment page before applying.

• Distance education: Government distance education is generally provided at little or no tuition cost for students who meet an eligibility category, though families still pay for things like equipment, internet, excursions and school contributions. Some enrolments do attract fees. Queensland's distance education procedure, for example, sets out when a distance education fee applies and how exemptions and waivers are assessed, and Brisbane SDE's home-based enrolment for families who don't meet another category is fee-paying.
• Home education: Registration itself is generally free (Queensland, for example, charges no fee to register). You pay for your own curriculum, books and activities, which can range from very little to a lot depending on your choices.

Check current fees directly with the distance school, as they change and differ between categories.

• Distance education: The school chooses the curriculum, which follows the state's curriculum for that year level. Teachers set work, run online lessons and give feedback, and the school reports on progress. Queensland notes that distance education teachers report on progress in Terms 2 and 4, and WA says SIDE students follow the same Western Australian curriculum as students in a regular school. Your role is closer to a learning supervisor: keeping your child on track, helping them log on and making sure work is done. In Queensland, a supervisor must stay with Prep to Year 6 students throughout the school day.
• Home education: You choose the approach, resources and timetable, within your state's registration requirements. You keep records and report to the regulator in the way your state requires. In Queensland, for example, that's an annual written report on your child's progress.

In short, distance education gives you more structure and a teacher's support, but less flexibility over what and when your child learns. Home education gives you full control and full responsibility.

This is often where the difference matters most. Because a distance education student is enrolled at a school, they can usually work towards the state senior certificate (such as the HSC, VCE, QCE, WACE or SACE) in the same way as other school students.

Home education on its own generally doesn't lead to these certificates. Queensland, for example, says a home education program does not earn credits towards the QCE. Some families home educate through the early years and then enrol in distance education for Years 11 and 12. Victoria's Virtual School Victoria lists a "previous home schooler" enrolment category, and South Australia's Open Access College lists home-educated students with an exemption among its eligible groups. Check the conditions well before Year 11.

See our guide to homeschooling high school for more on senior pathways.

Moving between distance education and home education is a change of legal status, not just a change of timetable, so plan the handover carefully.

• From home education to distance education: Apply to the distance school and wait for the enrolment to be confirmed. Then tell your home education regulator so your registration can end. Queensland, for example, asks families to tell its home education unit when a child moves to school.
• From distance education to home education: Apply for home education registration with your state or territory regulator. Keep your child enrolled until the registration is approved, then withdraw from the distance school. Victoria, for instance, requires children moving from school to home schooling to stay enrolled and attending until the VRQA approves registration.
• Part-time options: Some states allow limited arrangements, such as partial enrolment at a neighbourhood government school for home-schooled students in Victoria. These are usually at the school's discretion and don't make your child a full distance education student.

Some registered non-government schools offer distance or online learning, and a growing number of businesses sell online courses or "online school" programs. The question to ask is whether your child would be enrolled at a registered school, or whether you would be buying curriculum to use as a registered home educator.

• A registered school offering distance education: your child is an enrolled school student. In NSW, children enrolled in a registered non-government school providing distance education don't need home schooling registration.
• An online program or curriculum provider that isn't a registered school: your child is not enrolled anywhere, so you still need to register for home education and you remain responsible for meeting your state's requirements.

If a provider isn't clear about which one it is, ask it directly and check with your state's school registration authority before you sign up.