Distance Education is a legislated form of schooling where your child is enrolled with a registered school and studies at home. The school provides the learning program and qualified teachers, and the student is supervised at home by a parent or another responsible adult. Unlike home schooling, families are not visited by inspectors from the government authorities as our school holds the registration

Yes, the Department of Education TAS requires distance education students to meet one of several circumstances under Standard 16, such as geographically isolated, travelling, elite performance or illness. Please ask the school for more information

No, we don’t require students to sit entrance exams. Regardless of your child’s academic ability, distance education can accommodate his or her needs. However, we do require our students to sit for an online ACER test in literacy and numeracy to ensure their teachers are well-informed of their academic proficiency

Yes, distance education with Australian Christian College is open to any student in Tasmania wishing to complete Prep to Year 10 via this modality (pending entry requirements under Standard 16). As a Christian school, we welcome students of all backgrounds. The school allows students to explore faith without forcing commitment

There's no fixed timetable that students must follow. However, students need to complete 5 days worth of coursework each week, so they don't fall behind. There are at times course/assessment information virtual meetings which students are invited to attend

There is no minimum or maximum daily class time, however, we do have a recommended timetable to help students stay on track to complete 5 days worth of coursework each week. Time it takes to complete the distance education program can vary from student to student. However the school day is not interrupted with on campus events and students and distance education school work can often be completed in a shorter time frame then a typical on campus school day

You may be able to travel around Australia while completing distance education. The biggest challenge in doing so is accessing a reliable internet connection. Please ask the school for more information

Some children lose contact with their old school friends, while others do not. It depends on how intentional your child is in maintaining contact with his or her friends.

Australian Christian College - Launceston is not able to accept enrolments from students living overseas or interstate. The ACC Group offers distance education in other states and ACC Moreton may be able to support overseas students. Please visit Australian Christian College - Moreton

While it’s better to start at the beginning of a term, new students can generally start any time of the year. It only takes a couple of weeks to get started

Learning something new can be daunting. As such, we provide comprehensive induction training so you’ll feel confident from day one. The training happens on your computer. With your permission, we are able to see exactly what you see on screen and work through any issues you might have with accessing the school’s learning management system. The training program covers accessing the school’s learning management system, setting up your child’s online profile, setting up a timetable, monitoring progress, connecting with other students, accessing courses, working through lessons, participating in discussions, submitting work online, accessing textbooks, communicating with teachers, and taking attendance online. We’ve found that students learn our system very quickly because they’re comfortable in a technology-rich environment. The focus of induction is on the parent, who is acting as the supervisor. We’re happy to give you the time that you need to understand how it works

Distance education students participate in NAPLAN testing in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students are currently required to attend an ACC campus in Tasmania (Launceston, Hobart, or Burnie) to complete the testing

Students communicate with teachers, primarily, through the online messaging system. Students can also email and phone teachers if needed

As Australia’s largest non-government distance education, our students follow the Australian Curriculum. This allows your child to seamlessly transition back into regular school if required

You act as supervisor of your child’s learning. Your child’s teachers are responsible for your child’s academic progress, but you work in partnership with the school to make sure your child is working well

Your child’s teachers will be monitoring the academic progress of your child. If they’re falling behind, your child’s teacher will be in contact to offer solutions

Primary students spend, on average, less than an hour a day online. For secondary students, this increases to about 3 to 4 hours

Only in extreme circumstances is time off required, because distance education is portable and flexible. Most distance education students complete school work in their hotel rooms either before or after competing or performing each day

Yes, students who require learning support can have individualised learning plans developed by our Learning Support Coordinator

You will need an ADSL (or better) internet connection to succeed with distance education. Faster internet helps with video load speeds and when uploading assessments. There are a number of new satellite providers offering a cost-effective, fast internet connection, contact us for more information

As long as it needs to be. Once your child has completed their work, they can finish. Most primary students’ school work takes between 3 and 5 hours. Secondary students work on average 5 to 7 hours per day

Your child will receive report cards twice a year (mid and end) if they have been enrolled for the entire semester preceding the report card

Throughout the year, we provide social opportunities for your child to engage in some extra learning opportunities but these are limited. In addition, you’ll need to be intentional about making sure your child is in regular contact with friends outside school

Where possible, costs are included in our school fees. Some extra costs which may be relevant include some novels, media and materials for student experiments and projects. Optional co-curricular activities like excursions and mission trips are charged on a user-pays basis.

We recommend the Apple MacBook Air 13 as the best computer for an online student. If you cannot afford to purchase an Apple MacBook Air 13 (or another Apple computer), you can use your existing computer so long as you have access to broadband or ADSL Internet. You can also access our program through an iPad but this is not recommended

No, you can use any computer that’s less than 3 years old. We recommend Apple computers, because they are used by our teachers and students’ report that they're reliable

Our students follow the Australian Curriculum which allows them to seamlessly transition back into regular school if required.

Learning support is available through discussion with class teachers as required

Because we’re accredited as a independent school, you don’t need to notify the government of your decision to enrol with distance education

You don’t have to be tech-savvy to succeed in distance education. Only a basic level of technological proficiency is necessary. If you can use basic office software and email you’ll be fine

A responsible adult needs to act as supervisor for online students. If you both work, you’ll need to find another responsible adult, or perhaps, one of you can work from home

Using the resources and technology provided by the school, students learn in a range of ways, including talking with teachers over the phone or virtual meetings, discussing ideas online and studying independently.