UPDATE: 31/3/2020 All in-person groups and events MUST cease until the social distancing laws permit them. March 15: In the current climate, HEN strongly recommends the suspension of all gatherings. While children seem less susceptible to Coronavirus than adults, home ed gatherings involve both. In addition, some doctors warn that children (while remaining well themselves) can transmit the virus to others. Earlier action will
By Judy Ephraums ‘Once you turn your back on the school system, everything’s up for grabs.’ So said one of the first home educating mums I met, at one of the first home education gatherings my young daughter and I attended. She was an experienced home educator, and a friendly and welcoming face at the gathering; we went on to become firm friends. More
By Wendy Morriss I spent 30 years home educating my three children who are now 32, 29 and 19 years of age. It was an amazing experience; one that I will always remember and would recommend to anyone. I liked going to school myself because I was raised in a violent household, so school was an escape. My husband, however, constantly talked about his
So, you haven’t yet taken the home ed plunge. It would be nice to have a guarantee, right? The thing is life doesn’t come with guarantees. It would be really nice to be able to examine a home education prospectus and see pretty graphs and tables detailing the success rate but that isn’t possible. The best you can do is observe home educating families
By Cynthia McStephen If you are new to the whole idea of DIY education, you may be wondering what this home education stuff is all about. Of course, life varies wildly between different families anyway. So, by extension, home education, like every other aspect of family life, covers a huge spectrum. Instead of a catch-all definition, here’s a list of some of the things
By Cynthia McStephen Excuse me, I just have to crawl into a hole for a while before I can tackle this subject. I’m sure you won’t mind. It’s the weight, you see. It’s the sheer effort of dragging around the huge expectations the world has of me as a home educating parent: ‘You must be so organised’, ‘I don’t know how you do it
By Lyn Saint The following statement may be depressing for parents of small energetic children – life is an emotional and exhausting roller-coaster ride for parents of teenagers and young adults. Small children are easy in comparison. We just have to pick them up and bandage their knees and show them how to do the million practical things they have to learn in life –
So, a loved one has told you they’re going to home educate their children. DON’T PANIC! It’s really okay. You will be fine! These parents have thought long and hard about their decision. There’s a load of information and research out there on home education and chances are they’ve done their homework behind the scenes and come to decide that home education will be
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
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
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
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
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
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”]
Home Ed Activities Around Victoria Home education doesn’t mean all learning happens in the home: the world really is your classroom! Victoria offers many free and low cost activities. You can plan your activities as a family or link up with a group of home educators to go along together. Many venues that cater to school groups also have education materials available on
By Sue Wight Rachel Brady gave up on home education after two weeks and sent her children back to school. Her home education experience is not representational. Around 20,000 Australian kids are currently being home educated, thousands more already have been. For some families, home education provides a valuable short-term solution to an immediate problem, but many educate for a substantial time. The average
This information applies to Victoria, for interstate legal information, visit our Legal page. Registration Victorian Home educators are required to register with: Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) Ph: 03 9637 2806 Email: home.schooling@education.vic.gov.au Registration requires an Application form (Word or PDF) together with a Learning Plan for each child. See our video on How to Register Learning Plans Learning plans do not have to be
By Sue Wight As you move into the home education world, you’ll have people ask what type of home educator you are. There will be those who make the question sound like some kind of test. Feel free to ignore any such pressure. There are many different ways to home educate but none is the ‘one true way’. You may not be familiar with
Are you a Victorian home educator up for review this year? The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) is the government department that regulates home education by processing registrations and performing reviews. First, watch the VRQA videos on reviews and what to expect. Don’t stress, we’re here to help The HEN team has put in a lot of work liaising with the VRQA to
By Pavlina McMaster Whenever we tell people that we home educate our children, they almost invariably ask, “But what about socialisation?”. What they usually mean to ask is, “But how will they learn to be social?”. There is a difference, and home educated children are well-placed to be both, in a considered, thoughtful way. What is Socialisation? Socialisation is the process whereby children and
