Home based learner limited choice
There are five fee exemption categories for home based learners by limited choice:
a) Geographic isolation
According to the Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2006, a student is deemed to be living in a remote area:
-
where the student’s home:
- is not less than 16km from the nearest applicable school; and
- is not less than 4.5km from a school transport service approved by the chief executive (transport) or a public transport service to the nearest applicable school;
or
- where the student’s home:
- is not less than 16km from the nearest applicable school; and
- is less than 4.5km from a school transport service approved by the chief executive (transport) or a public transport service to the nearest applicable school; and is
- not less than 56km from the nearest applicable school using the route travelled by the transport service; or
- not less than 3 hours travelling time per day from the nearest applicable school using the transport service.
b) Medical
The student has a physical health problem or is experiencing a social/emotional condition of such severity that the student is unable to attend a local school on a full-time basis for a period in excess of 80 consecutive school days. Documentation to support an application for eligibility under the medical condition category must include the supply of information from a relevant medical practitioner, registered under the Medical Practitioners Registration Act 2001 and/or registered under the Psychologists Registration Act 2001 concerning the medical condition of the student. The school’s medical certification form (see
Medical certification form (PDF, 396KB)) must be submitted annually to remain enrolled in this category.
This information is to be provided in response to advice outlining the services of the distance education provider. Education Queensland will have the right to seek a second opinion.
c) Itinerant lifestyle
A person has an itinerant lifestyle if because of the nature of the occupation in which their family is engaged, i.e. the student is mobile within Australia for the majority of the school year due to family employment/business. The criteria are:
- The student’s principal place of residence changes at least twice in the relevant school year or at least 5 times in the period consisting of the relevant school year and school year immediately before or after the relevant school year; or
- The student spends at least 60 school days of the relevant school year (consisting of periods of 5 consecutive school days or more) away from the student’s principal place of residence; or
- The student’s principal place of residence is a caravan and the location of the caravan changes at least twice in the relevant school year or at least 5 times in the period consisting of the relevant school year and the school year immediately before or after the relevant school year; or
- The place where the student lives changes at least twice in the relevant school year and the student does not have a principal place of residence; and examples of an occupation include carnival worker, contract harvester or shearer; and
- The student spends at least 120 school days of the relevant school year in Australia.
For mobile families, a singular Australian postal address for the year must be provided to the school to which all the mail will be sent. For families travellling within Australia, a 'one off' resource fee of $200 is charged and will be refunded on return of resources in good condition at the end of the enrolment period at the school.
d) Exclusion
The student has been excluded from all state schools or has been excluded from their local state school and is unable to attend the next nearest state school for reasons of excessive distance (refer to the geographical isolation/distance criterion).
e) Family circumstance
The student is unable to attend a local school regularly due to the need to undertake parenting of his or her child, or another child for whom the person has or exercises parental responsibility; or the student cannot attend state educational institution, other than a school of distance education, because the person is caring for someone, other than a child as previously mentioned, on a regular basis; and gives the chief executive a medical certification stating that fact.
f) Negative notice or custodial reasons
The person cannot be a mature age student of a State Educational Institution other than a School of Distance Education because the person has been issued with a negative notice under section 26AE3 of the Act; or the person is in the custody of the Chief Executive Office - Corrective Services at a corrective services facility under the Corrective Services Act 2000.