Key takeaways
Registering for home education in Ireland isn't complicated, but it requires following a specific process through Tusla. Miss a step, and it can't legally commence. This guide covers what families in Ireland actually need to do – from the initial application form through the Section 14 Register – and what the education provision requirements mean in practice.
- Homeschooling in Ireland is legal under Article 42 of the Irish Constitution, and parents must register with Tusla through the AEARS process before formally beginning.
- The home education application form, along with a certified copy of the child's birth certificate and a curriculum outline, is the starting point for all registrations.
- Tusla's assessors evaluate whether the child is receiving a certain minimum education – not whether the curriculum matches the national curriculum, which families are not required to follow.
- Children placed on the Section 14 Register are entitled to the same status as school-attending children for state examination purposes, including the Leaving Certificate.
Contents
- 1 The Legal Basis for Home Education in Ireland
- 2 Who Is Tusla and What Is AEARS?
- 3 Step-by-Step: How to Register with Tusla
- 4 What Does “Certain Minimum Education” Mean?
- 5 Do Homeschooled Children Need to Follow the National Curriculum?
- 6 State Examinations for Home Educated Children
- 7 Can Legacy Online School Support Home Education in Ireland?
- 8 Top Tips from Our Expert
We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.
The Legal Basis for Home Education in Ireland
Article 42 of the Irish Constitution protects the right to education at home. It recognizes parents as the primary and natural educator of the child and confirms that the state does not have an absolute right to override that. Article 42 of the Irish Constitution is one of the strongest constitutional protections for home education in Europe.
Section 14 of the Education Act 1998 establishes the legal requirement under Section 14 for parents who choose to educate their child outside a recognized institution to notify Tusla and satisfy an assessment. That legal requirement under Section 14 is not onerous – but it is real.
Ireland does not require homeschooling families to use state schools, and it does not require them to follow the national curriculum. But it does require that children receive a certain minimum education, and it requires Tusla to confirm that standard is being met.
Who Is Tusla and What Is AEARS?
Tusla is Ireland’s Child and Family Agency – the statutory body responsible for child welfare and protection. Within the agency, the Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) handles everything related to education in places other than recognized schools.
AEARS manages the Section 14 Register, assigns assessors to home educating families, and coordinates assessments across Ireland. Families in Dublin and other cities deal directly with AEARS. There is no separate local education and training board pathway for education at home – it all runs through Tusla’s AEARS.
“The Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) Tusla is responsible for the regulation of provision for education in places other than recognised schools. Its function is to carry out an assessment of the educational provision for children, in order to determine if a child can be placed on the statutory register of children educated outside of a recognised school.”
Step-by-Step: How to Register with Tusla
Step 1: Download the home education application form
This application form is available directly from the agency’s website. It’s a straightforward document – personal details, a description of your proposed curriculum approach, and information about how learning will be assessed. There’s no fee.
Step 2: Gather your documents
You’ll need a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate. If your child was previously enrolled in a recognized educational institution, include any relevant school records. A description of the educational materials and methods you plan to use strengthens the application.
Step 3: Submit an application to AEARS
Send the completed application to the AEARS unit. Once received, AEARS will confirm whether your application is valid and assign an evaluator.
Step 4: Preliminary assessment
The evaluator contacts the family to arrange a home visit. This preliminary assessment focuses on whether the child is receiving – or will receive – a certain minimum education appropriate to their age. It’s conversational rather than adversarial. Many families find it straightforward.
Step 5: Comprehensive assessment (if needed)
In some cases, AEARS requests a more detailed comprehensive assessment of the education provision – particularly if the preliminary assessment raises questions. This involves reviewing learning records, sample work, and possibly observing a teaching session.
Step 6: Placement on the Section 14 Register
If the assessment confirms the child is receiving adequate education, they are placed on the Section 14 Register. The agency conducts periodic reviews – typically annually – to ensure continued compliance.
What Does “Certain Minimum Education” Mean?
The phrase certain minimum education appears throughout Irish homeschool guidance. It’s deliberately broad. It doesn’t mean following the national curriculum. It doesn’t mean meeting specific exam targets.
In practice, assessors look for:
- Age-appropriate literacy and numeracy development
- Breadth of learning across subjects (not necessarily Irish curriculum subjects)
- Evidence that the child is progressing and engaged
- A coherent educational approach, even if unconventional
They use the Department of Education’s Guidelines on the Assessment of Education in Places Other Than Recognized Schools as their framework. These are publicly available on the official website of the agency.
Do Homeschooled Children Need to Follow the National Curriculum?
No. This matters. They can use any curriculum, any methodology, any mix of online and offline resources. What must be assessed is the outcome – whether the child is receiving education appropriate to their age and needs.
Some home educating families use structured curricula. Others follow a more child-led approach. Group activities, co-ops, tutors, and online platforms are all permitted. The education provided just has to meet the minimum standard.
“If you home school your child, you don’t need a teaching qualification and to follow the national curriculum. You can choose how you teach your child based on their age, ability and learning needs.”
— Citizens Information, citizensinformation.ie
State Examinations for Home Educated Children
Children on the Section 14 Register are entitled to the same status as children attending recognized schools for state examination purposes. That means they can sit the Junior Cycle assessments and the Leaving Certificate exams as external candidates through the State Examinations Commission.
The leaving certificate – the main secondary school exam – is fully accessible to home educated children registered with Tusla. There is no penalty, no separate lower-tier certificate. Exam results are treated identically.
If a homeschooled child in Ireland also wants to pursue US university applications, Advanced Placement (AP) courses through an accredited online school can run alongside their Irish home-based education. It doesn’t replace Tusla registration – but it adds a credentialed US pathway.
Can Legacy Online School Support Home Education in Ireland?
Legacy is a WASC–accredited private online school – not a homeschooling platform. But many home educating families across Ireland use Legacy for structured curriculum delivery, particularly at online middle school and online high school level.
The Brennan family in Cork began homeschooling their daughter Aoife after primary school, wanting a flexible, structured approach that didn’t tie them to a fixed school calendar. They registered with Tusla – placed on the Section 14 Register within two months – and used Legacy for core subjects and two AP courses. When Aoife applied to an American university at 17, her Legacy transcript and AP scores were submitted directly. No credits lost. No issues with the assessment process.
Using Legacy does not fulfill Tusla registration requirements. Families living in Ireland must still complete the AEARS process and ensure that their child’s education provision meets the required standards.
Home Education Network Ireland is also a useful community resource – particularly for families outside Dublin who are beginning homeschooling and want peer support.
Curious how Legacy fits into a Tusla-registered home education plan? Book a free trial class or reach out to our admissions team – we work with home educating families across Ireland.
Top Tips from Our Expert
Maya Robinson, College Prep Advisor at Legacy Online School
- Submit your Tusla application before you stop sending your child to school. Irish education law requires notification and registration, and gaps in schooling – even brief ones – can complicate the AEARS process if they happen before placement on the Section 14 Register.
- Keep a learning journal from day one. Assessors respond well to documented evidence of learning progress. Dates, subjects covered, sample outputs. It doesn’t need to be formal – it needs to show that education is happening.
- If you’re using Legacy as part of your home education curriculum, ask for your child’s termly progress report and transcript. These documents help evaluators verify structured learning and make comprehensive assessments significantly smoother.
- Homeschooling in Ireland opens up the state exams – including the Leaving Certificate – as an external candidate. Plan early if your child wants to sit state exams. The external candidate registration process through the State Examinations Commission has its own timeline, separate from Tusla.
We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.
