wphen – Home Education Network

December 22, 2022

Victorian Home Education Up 66%

Figures tabled in parliament this week show a huge growth in home education. (Up by a massive 66% from last year) We’ve graphed the rise over time using figures from VRQA Annual Reports going back to 2008. These figures come as no surprise to HEN, as they reflect the rise in enquiries that we have seen this year. Our support team has been busy […]

December 2, 2022

VHEAC Communique October 2022

August 17, 2022

VHEAC Communique July 2022

June 22, 2022

VHEAC Communique April 2022

March 14, 2022

Home ed done properly: what does that mean?

You might have had someone say to you that home education can be okay, as long as it’s done ‘properly’. But who defines what ‘properly’ means? Who gets to determine what a ‘proper’ education looks like for individual children? Why is one person’s ‘proper’ better than another, when children are unique? Home ed advocates will likely say that an ideal education is tailored […]

February 14, 2022

Structure and Home Education

There are many reasons to incorporate structure in your home education life. Common reasons include: Children who need a framework in order to feel less anxious Parents new to home ed who need reassurance and an element of familiarity Children who need help with executive functioning skills Many people might think home ed structure would replicate school; timetables, set lesson times, scheduled breaks, but […]

February 8, 2022

VHEAC Mark Bachman Otherways Issue 170, November 2021

February 8, 2022

The Victorian Home Education Advisory Committee

[Image description: graphic showing text information about the article. Text reads VHEAC, Mark Bachman, Otherways issue 170, November 2021] Mark Bachman served as a home education representative on VHEAC from 2018 to 2021. In this article, Mark reflects on his time on the committee, and the significance of VHEAC for the Victorian home education community. For more information on VHEAC, please see HEN’s VHEAC […]

February 3, 2022

The Rise and Rise of Home Education

Nationally, the number of students registered for Home Education has more than doubled in the last ten years. HEN’s Kirsty James was interviewed on ABC radio about the rise on 2 February. The annual reports of state regulatory bodies provide registration figures as at 30 June each year, and strong growth can be seen across each jurisdiction: Students Registered for Home Education Date […]

January 20, 2022

Home Ed Survey Results 2021

HEN surveys provide the best Australian data on the Who, How and Why of home education. Since 2015, this data has proven enormously useful in accurately representing our community both to government and in the media e.g. by exploding a myth of widespread non-registration. One of the most interesting of this year’s results was that home educators become less structured over time. There has […]

September 13, 2021

Exploring Options for the English KLA

In schools, English is often taught in isolation: a series of disjointed exercises in writing, spelling and grammar. In real life, English is about communicating our thoughts and ideas, often relating to work, interests and information sharing. When we change our focus from the subject of English to the task of ensuring our children can communicate, it makes English less daunting. Most parents […]

August 17, 2021

Home Educated Olympian

Thousands of us watched as Oceana represented Australia in women’s sport climbing. Here we learn a little more about her. Meet Oceana Mackenzie Nineteen-year-old Oceana is the youngest of six sisters who were always home educated using a natural learning style. Her parents are from New Zealand but were living in Germany when Oceana was born, and moved to Melbourne when she was very […]

August 14, 2021

Exploring Options for the Languages KLA

Parents considering their options for the Languages key learning area (KLA) are often concerned that they will not be able to meet the requirements. Fortunately, there are a wide range of options, so even parents who have never studied another language can relax. Home ed language learning does not need to look like school for a number of reasons: You can choose your language […]

July 26, 2021

July 26, 2021

Non-year 12 entry to university: an example

Non-year 12 entry to university: an example Home educated students have successfully applied to universities all around the country using non-year 12 pathways. In Victoria, high school students at school typically sit their VCE exams and receive their ATAR, which then allows them to enrol in a university degree if certain requirements are met. But what do you do when home educated kids can […]

March 28, 2021

VHEAC Communique Feb 2021

March 8, 2021

Home education for the child in crisis

Content warning: this article talks about children in severe states of mental distress and issues related to that. People choose home education for many different reasons. For some, home education is the only option when a child is in crisis, and where continuing in the school setting poses a grave risk to that child. If this applies to you, and your child is struggling […]

February 16, 2021

When your friends and family are unsupportive

You may have come to home education happily and willingly, or it may be that home ed is your last resort after persevering with mainstream school before realising it just won’t work for your child. Regardless of the reasons why you are home educating, you would hope that your friends and family support your decision and encourage you. Or, at the very least, if […]

February 15, 2021

A Home Education Vocabulary

“What’s the difference between homeschooling and unschooling?” and “What is deschooling?’ are among the most commonly asked questions in Facebook groups. Homeschooling is generally used to mean home education. HEN (and many individuals) prefer this latter term as it is a more accurate description of what families do: educate their children at home. However, the VRQA uses the term homeschooling, as do most […]

January 30, 2021

Should I use an All-in-One Curriculum Bundle?

Kirsty James Grade based curriculum packages offer a level of security which feels reassuring, but they have some significant drawbacks.The majority of these products are either books designed for schools, or programs for home educators which follow the Australian Curriculum. In some states, HE (home education) families have to follow this curriculum, and as HE numbers have grown, companies have seen a market opportunity. […]

January 18, 2021

Record keeping for home education

By Kirsty James One common concern for new home educators in Victoria is how to keep records. This tends to stem from the question how will learning outcomes be recorded on the VRQA paperwork when applying for home ed registration, and it’s common for people to list multiple methods of record keeping there. The main purpose of records is to provide a framework […]

January 5, 2021

Starting a Law Club for home ed teens

If your teen is interested in legal studies, why not start your own law club? Parents, or teens themselves, can organise groups, or even single activities, where the focus is on legal studies. Activities can include anything from an excursion to an activity held in a hired space weekly or fortnightly or monthly– the choice is yours. You may wish to hire a venue, […]

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