Approximately 35 home educators attended the Roundtable discussion on 19th November 2009 including several members of the former Home Schooling Advisory Committee. The following report has been prepared by Susan Wight who attended the meeting.
Work on a National Curriculum is proceeding with an aim to roll out part one in 2011. More information is now available as several discussion papers are available for public feedback. These can be accessed online here http://www.ncb.org.au/communications/publications.html It is not yet clear what effect a national curriculum would have on home educators but we advise home [...]
The Victorian government selected the following home educators to advise them on home education matters during the implementation phase of the new Education Act:
Lyn Saint (03) 94131 4826 lml (at) mira.net Sandra Herbert Barb Dennis barbdennis (at) bigpond (dot) com Jeanie Clark clarkspark (at) aussiebroadband (dot) com (dot) au Anthony White Josh Fergeus Fred Cahir Deborah Lapthorne
These people formed the Homeschooling Advisory Committee (HSAC). The members listed with contact details are all HEN members and are happy to be contacted regarding matters discussed at the HSAC meetings.
Early in 2009, members of the Home School Advisory Committee received a letter informing them that that the Minister appreciates their efforts to date, was setting up an annual Roundtable consultation with home schoolers and would not be reconvening the HSAC when its term of appointment expired in June. The final meeting of the HSAC was held on May 12 2009 with the Minister, Bronwyn Pike in attendance.
Home education is legal throughout Australia. Parents do not need to have teaching qualifications. Home Education has always been legal in Victoria but the legal situation changed in 2007 when the The Education and Training Reform Act 2006 came into effect on 1st July. Under its terms home educators are required to register with the Victorian Registration [...]
The federal government has introduced a controversial bill to link welfare payments to school attendance. They intend to trial this system in WA and NT before rolling it out in other states. Home education is not truancy so this should have no effect at all on registered home educators but will be a problem for [...]
Registered home educators are exempt from the Welfare to Work laws which apply to parents with children over the age of six. Registered homeschooling is one of the exemption categories along with large families (four or more children aged between 6 and 16), parents caring for foster children and children with significant disabilities. For more information contact [...]
The Victorian government has issued guidelines for partial school enrolment by registered home educated students. This formalises an arrangement whereby home educating families negotiate partial enrolment with a school in order to access certain subjects. Families who wish to pursue partial enrolment need to contact the principal of their neighbourhood school to discuss a workable arrangement but [...]
The Education and Training Reform Act 2006, came into effect in Victoria on 1st July 2007. It requires home educators to: "register children for homeschooling in accordance with the regulations and to ensure that the child receives instruction in accordance with the regulations." There are two levels of legal requirements for home education: - the Legislation (The Education and [...]