wphen - Home Education Network

March 7, 2019

Home Education Outcomes

The following information is available about the academic outcomes of home education in Australia: The education departments of three states are known to have examined educational outcomes of home educated students through NAPLAN testing etc. Those studies have only been released via freedom of Information requests. NSW BOSTES study on NSW NAPLAN, Year 10 and Year 12 results students being home educated plus those […]

March 5, 2019

Chemistry @ Home

By Kathleen Humble There is quite a difference between the way I thought I would teach chemistry and the way my son, Canary, prefers to learn. Canary is very visual-spatial in his thinking. He absorbs knowledge when he can see it and touch it. He doesn’t mind listening, but he can’t just listen – there has to be a visual component, or lots of […]

February 14, 2019

Other Ways to Uni and Careers

Home ed students have a wide choice of pathways to university and careers. They can tackle university courses whenever they are ready – anywhere between age 13 and 100. Career pathways and destinations can be almost as individual as home education itself. This is a 68 page PDF on pathways to university and careers written by home ed veteran, Sue Wight. Available now $20 Members […]

January 28, 2019

A fable for School People

Once upon a time, the animals decided that they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “New World” so they organised a school. They adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming, in fact, better than his […]

December 18, 2018

Community Engagement

By Kirsty James My 16-year-old son is passionate about woodturning, and is a member of the local Guild. Two years ago, he barely knew that woodturning existed, but thanks to various kind and helpful people in our local community, he has learnt a new skill and found what may become a lifelong interest. At the start of 2016, a friend and I were keen […]

December 11, 2018

Budding Writers

By Sue Wight Story writing can be encouraged from a very early age. When your children are drawing, you could ask them to tell you the story of what is happening in the picture and write that down. If your children like to tell stories, you can begin to write them down and make them into books as early as you and they enjoy […]

December 6, 2018

VHEAC Communique Nov 2018

[gview file=”https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/VHEAC-Communique-8-November-2018.pdf”]

November 13, 2018

Skills First Submission

Home educated students are effectively locked out of VET funding at the moment and HEN is trying to get this changed. Our submission is below. An explanation of acronyms is provided below the submission for younger families. [gview file=”https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Skills-First-Submission-HEN.pdf”] Acronyms and terms: VRQA: Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority – the registration body which registers home ed students of compulsory education age. DET: Victorian Department […]

October 8, 2018

Single Home Educators & Centrelink

You may be eligible for: Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B. Once your child reaches the minimum school starting age for your state, if you are geographically isolated, your child has specific learning needs or medical issues (including anxiety, depression, bullying, family trauma, ill parent), you may be eligible for Assistance for Isolated Children a substantial payment which not income or assets tested and does not […]

October 8, 2018

Partnered Home Educators & Centrelink

Partnered home educators may be eligible for: Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B. Once your child reaches the minimum school starting age for your state, if you are geographically isolated, your child has specific learning needs or medical issues (including anxiety, depression, bullying, family trauma, ill parent), you may be eligible for Assistance for Isolated Children a substantial payment which is not income or assets tested […]

October 5, 2018

A Tale of Five Brothers

Carleen Sing home educated her five sons. Their story has been told over many years through Otherways and the family also appeared in a 60 Minutes segment on Unschooling in 2014 and an article in The Daily Telegraph in 2015. Here we look back at their journey… My husband and I both trained as primary school teachers, and it was whilst teaching that I began to question […]

October 1, 2018

Starting Out

By Pavlina McMaster Home education is a foreign concept to most of us – it is outside our own, personal educational experience, and many people considering it do not know anyone who home educates their children. In Victoria, approximately 60% of home educators have come to it after withdrawing a child from school, often under traumatic or highly stressful circumstances. This cohort often make […]

September 25, 2018

VHEAC permanency

HEN would like to see VHEAC made permanent to ensure that all home education policy decisions, requirements and supporting documents receive input from experienced home educators. The current position of the major political parties is: ALP: Minister Merlino says VHEAC will run through to mid-2019 when VHEAC members will “collectively decide on the future format and functions of the committee.” While that doesn’t rule […]

September 18, 2018

Student Transition Form

Victoria Legally, teenagers are required to be at school or registered for home education until the age of 17. When kids aged under 17 move to a TAFE course, they may be asked for a Transition from School Form (form will download when you click the link) during the enrolment process. You can download the form using the link provided here, but it must be […]

September 7, 2018

Assistance for Isolated Children

Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) FAQ What is the AIC payment? Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) is a Centrelink group of payments for parents and carers of children who can’t go to a local government school because of geographical isolation, disability or other needs. It is a significant payment available to some home educators, but it is not a ‘homeschool payment’. There are […]

August 28, 2018

VHEAC Communique August 2018

[gview file=”https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/VHEAC-Communique-7-August-2018.pdf”]

August 27, 2018

Help for Low Income Families

If you’re looking for help with managing your child’s education costs, the Saver Plus program could help. Saver Plus provides individuals and families on lower incomes the opportunity to have their savings matched dollar-for-dollar (up to $500) to pay for education costs. Find out more about your eligibility and how to apply by phoning 1300 610 355 or visit the Saver Plus website [gview file=”https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TGEGS_SaverPlus_A4_Poster_Community_General-1.pdf”] […]

August 13, 2018

School Sport Victoria

Victorian home educated students can access the inter-school and interstate programs with School Sport Victoria by providing a copy of their VRQA registration letter to SSV. Families are responsible for the costs involved. Home schooled students can access: 1. SSV Swimming, Cross Country, Golf and Track and Field (District level for primary-aged kids and Division level for secondary aged students They then progress through the competition levels […]

August 9, 2018

Vic Legalities in Brief

Want the quick version on the Victorian legal requirements for home education? [gview file=”https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Vic-Requirements-in-Brief.pdf”] For the longer version see: Learning Plan Guidance Reviews Guide Excerpts from the Act and Regulation

August 3, 2018

The Greatest Gift

By Pavlina McMaster We came to home education like many others, carrying scars from a school system that was eroding my child’s self-esteem, and our sanity. School, though short-lived, had been a time fraught with stress, anxiety, and the regression of everyone’s skills, not least of which were mine. As an autistic adult, I had come to learn so many things that many neurotypical […]