No vaccination requirement for enrolment in the compulsory phase of school
Some government authorities and schools tell parents that children must be vaccinated to enrol them in the compulsory phase of school. This is not true, anywhere in Australia.
None of the eight states and territories have a legislated vaccination requirement for enrolment in the compulsory phase of school, regardless of whether the school is private or public.
When does the compulsory phase of school commence?
The compulsory phase of school commences in the year prior to Grade 1, which is called different names in different states:
| State/Territory | Name |
|---|---|
| Queensland | Preparatory (Prep) |
| New South Wales | Kindergarten |
| Australian Capital Territory | Kindergarten |
| Victoria | Preparatory (Prep) |
| Tasmania | Preparatory (Prep) |
| South Australia | Reception |
| Western Australia | Pre Primary |
| Northern Territory | Transition |
Documentation requirement versus vaccination requirement
When enrolling a child in the compulsory phase of school, parents may be required to submit a vaccination history statement showing which, if any, vaccines their child has received, when such a requirement is authorised by state-based Public Health Acts.
Importantly, such a requirement is not a requirement for your child to be vaccinated. This is a documentation requirement, not a vaccination requirement.
This information is collected to enable unvaccinated children to be temporarily excluded in the event of outbreaks of so-called vaccine-preventable diseases, when such exclusions are authorised by state-based Public Health Acts.
A Vaccination History Statement can be downloaded from the Medicare website via your MyGov account.
Example of a documentation requirement masquerading as a vaccination requirement
A misleading page previously found on the WA Health website suggests that vaccination is “essential” for school enrolments. This is completely untrue, as evidenced by the statement in the second paragraph, which shows that there is a requirement for parents to submit a vaccination history statement (documentation requirement), not a requirement for children to be vaccinated. See screenshot below.
Conscientious Objection
As there is no requirement for children to be vaccinated to be enrolled in the compulsory phase of school, there is also no requirement for the parents of unvaccinated children to formally conscientiously object to the vaccination of their children for this purpose.
Out-of-school-hours and vacation care
There is no vaccination requirement to enrol school-aged children in out-of-school-hours and vacation care in any state or territory in Australia.
However, because the federal No Jab, No Pay law (applicable in all states and territories) requires vaccination for the purpose of eligibility to Childcare Subsidy for all children up to the age of 19 years, unless an unvaccinated child qualifies for an exemption under the federal law, then the parent/guardian will not qualify for Childcare Subsidy with respect to this care.
Please visit our No Jab, No Pay page to see if your child may qualify for an exemption for the purpose of Childcare Subsidy.
Vaccination requirements for enrolment in childcare and non-compulsory early childhood education services
Vaccination requirements are in force for enrolment in childcare and non-compulsory early childhood education services in most states, referred to as No Jab, No Play laws.
No Jab, No Play (Qld) Optional
No Jab, No Play (Vic)
No Jab, No Play (NSW)
No Jab, No Play (WA)
No Jab, No Play (SA)
Other states and territories
This page was last reviewed and updated on 12 October 2024.