Home Education Survey 2025

Invitation to participate

Hello and sending you my warmest greetings,

I’m writing to let you know that the Office of the Education Registrar is conducting a survey about the home education registration process in Tasmania.

As a registered home educator, you are invited to complete the survey which will take approximately 8 to 10 minutes to complete. You can access the survey from the link above. We will also send you a SMS text message early next week with the link as well as a few reminders to participate prior to the survey closing.

The purpose of the survey is to hear from you about your experience of the registration process and how we could improve in the future.

This might include improvements to the information that we provide about how to be registered for home education or reviewing the information we provide about the Registration Standards to ensure it is clearly expressed and easily understood.

The specific functions and processes our Office must do is set in the Education Act 2016 and within the Education Regulations 2017 and these will need to continue as prescribed. However, we want to ensure that our relationship with you is informative, respectful and responsive and you have the information you need in a useful format.

Just like home educators reflect on their practice, we also review what we do to make sure the OER is effective and supportive. Our goal is to maintain a strong, trusted regulatory process while being a helpful and enabling partner for all home educators

Your feedback and response through completion of the survey is critical to help us identify the areas in which we can do better.

If you do not wish to complete the survey but would like to raise an issue or concern, please feel free to email me at registrar@oer.tas.gov.au. Alternatively, you can phone 6165 6135 and ask to speak to a Senior Registration Officer or to the Manager, Home Education.

As the person responsible for home education registration and monitoring, I'm committed to improving OER processes and addressing any issues that arise. We're always looking for ways to do better and strengthen our interactions with home educators.

Below are some answers to questions that you might have about the survey.

I look forward to sharing the results of the survey with you towards the end of this year.

Warm regards

Jo Spencer
Manager, Home Education/
Registrar, Education

More information about the Survey

What is the purpose of this survey?

The responses will assist the OER to identify areas in the home education registration process that need to be improved.  This includes the information that we provide about what is to be included in a HESP, what happens at a registration visit or if we could improve our interactions with you during the registration process.

How long will it take to complete the survey?

The survey is estimated to take between 8 to 10 minutes to complete online.

Is the survey anonymous?

Yes, the survey is anonymous. No names are collected during the survey, although there are opportunities for you to provide your email address if you wish to. This is so that we can contact you to discuss your experience if you request it.

How long will the survey be open for?

The survey will be open for a period of 4 weeks and will close on Monday 29 September 2025. We will send some reminders via email and SMS Text messaging to ask that you complete the survey.

How will the survey responses be used?

We will review the survey results looking for common themes or feedback. If the survey indicates that the information we provide is not clear, or home educators are not satisfied with something, then we will look into what the issues are and how we can improve on them.  Findings of the 2024 Survey are available here.

Will the results be used to make changes to the legislative framework or registration process?

No. The survey is seeking to understand how we can improve our existing processes or how we can better communicate or interact with you. For example, we may need to review the information that we provide in letters or emails to you.

The survey is not seeking views about how the legislative framework operates and if anything should be changed. The survey is also not about the Home Education Registration Standards (the 10 key areas that need to be addressed in the HESP). 

The Registration Standards are contained in the Education Regulations 2017 which form part of the legislative framework. Regulations are repealed 10 years after their making, so the 2017 Regulations must be reviewed with new regulations made.

In 2026, a review of the Registration Standards will be carried ready for new Regulations to start in 2027. Any changes to the Regulations require significant consultation with stakeholders and when this time comes, the Registrar will work with and consult the Tasmanian home educating community.

Will the outcomes of the survey be made available to the home education community?

Yes, once the responses have been collated, a report will be made available to the home education community about the survey findings. Findings of the 2024 Survey are available here.

Can I provide comments or feedback another way?

You are welcome to provide feedback, or to raise concerns at any time with the Office of the Education Registrar.

If you do not wish to complete the survey but would like to raise an issue or concern, please feel free to email me at registrar@oer.tas.gov.au. Alternatively, you can phone 6165 6135 and ask to speak to a Senior Registration Officer or to the Manager, Home Education.