Name: Jadimo

Age: 17

Years home educated: my whole life.

Did you/your family follow any particular home ed style?

We utilised a blend of different techniques. As my interests and skills developed, we experimented with different curriculums and home education styles, culminating in an education tailored to my needs, passions and strengths, while fostering an environment for exploration, self motivation and independence.

What are you currently doing?

Currently I am studying a Certificate IV in Disability, a Certificate IV in Ageing Support and a Certificate IV in Leisure and Health. In addition to this I am working in the field of disability, as well as being a gymnastics coach and English tutor.

What pathways did you take to get there? How did you meet any prerequisites the course required?

Prior to studying the aforementioned Certificate IVs, I had completed another Certificate IV, two Certificate IIIs and some Open University study. While this prior study was beneficial in learning study techniques and gaining knowledge, it was not essential or a prerequisite for the courses I am currently studying. That being said, different institutes and TAFEs may differ in what prerequisites they require (some call for a Certificate IV).

Do you have any advice to offer other home educated students considering doing the same as you?

For anyone who is interested in becoming a support worker for people with disabilities, I would highly recommend firstly volunteering in the field. Volunteering not only provides an opportunity to experience the field firsthand, it also allows time to evaluate if the field is right for you and visa versa (before delving into study). Volunteering also provides opportunities to make connections in the industry. Personally, for these reasons, I have found volunteering highly beneficial, and would recommend it to everyone who may be considering work in the field of disability (or any field for that matter).

Name: Andre

Age: 16

Years home educated: All my life.

Did you/your family follow any particular home ed style?

Eclectic. We used a curriculum for maths and I was also in charge of my own learning for the most part. My parents also supplemented my education with documentaries, public lectures at universities and research institutes, articles, classes they thought I would find interesting, home ed excursions and activities, general life and work experience.

What are you currently doing?

An Advanced Diploma of Mechanical Engineering (2021/2022).

What pathways did you take to get there? How did you meet any prerequisites the course required?

I did a Certificate IV at the same institution which feeds in to the advanced diploma course, where I receive credit for prior study from the Cert IV. The advanced diploma is a guaranteed pathway to the mechanical engineering degree at the associated university. For the Cert IV, because I was under age 17 I had to get an official ‘exit letter’ from the Department of Education that allowed me to enrol in TAFE. As part of my Cert IV application I had to complete a numeracy, language and literacy test which was fairly straightforward. The advanced diploma and engineering degree will take me less time to complete because of all the prior study.

Do you have any advice to offer other home educated students considering doing what you’re doing?

There is no reason to wait until you are 18 to do tertiary study like school students usually do. VCE is not required to get into university and there are examples all across Australia of home ed kids starting tertiary education at a younger age. There are many TAFE courses that you can start with, so if you have a degree in mind check the entry requirements for established pathways you can follow. Home education allowed me to focus on studying topics that I found interesting, as well as earlier entry in to tertiary education.

Name: Sam

Age: 21

Years home educated: All my life

Did you/your family follow any particular home ed style?

Natural Learning/Unschooling

My parents encouraged me to follow my interests and passion, giving me the freedom to learn without limits and at my own pace. Which led me to discover my passion for Lego, geography, architecture and theatre in the free time I had and gave me the independence I needed to figure out which paths suited me best.

What are you currently doing?

I have just completed an Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural) (2022)

What pathways did you take to get there? How did you meet any prerequisites the course required?

I did a Certificate IV in Allied Health at 17, which had nothing to do with my current course, but I found it very interesting to do. I had to complete a numeracy, language and literacy test to enter and write a personal statement. There were no other prerequisites.

For the Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural) I am currently studying, there were also no prerequisites, and as I was already a student at that institute, it made the entry smoother. I did submit a personal statement along with a portfolio of the various architectural things I had worked on over the years. Things such as images of drawings of various architectural pieces I had designed, buildings I had created models of (out of card and wood) and a scale (1:2200) lego model of Melbourne measuring 1500×1500.

Do you have any advice to offer other home educated students considering doing what you’re doing?

Every person has a different set of learning techniques, abilities and interests. One of my favourite quotes is from Albert Einstein: ‘If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it’ll live its whole life believing it is stupid.’ 

So, to those who are pursuing their dreams and passions, keep moving forwards and don’t let anyone hold you back, convince yourself that your ideas are not ridiculous or impossible. With the right mindset, anything is possible.

Name: Orianna

Age: 21

Years home educated: Baby to year 12!

Did you/your family follow any particular home ed style?

My mum used a very eclectic style taking aspects from a few different homeschooling models. As her background was in occupational therapy she used largely an activity based learning style (Montessori style) in my early years. Some bookwork was used. Unschooling became the main method used after I was 9 years of age where I was free to explore learning through my interests. Occasionally mum used unit studies in our learning.

What are you currently doing?

Since I was 15 years old (2015) I have been running my own business; Naturally Goat Skincare. I originally founded the business with the name “Udderly Healthy Soaps” however as it expanded and became more professional I took it to the next level, by completely rebranding and changed the name to Naturally Goat Skincare. Having started with only 1 product – soap bars, which I spent 2 years perfecting the recipe for, my brand now offers over 200 products both online, through retail stores and shipped worldwide.

What pathways did you take to get there? How did you meet any prerequisites the course required?

I studied online short courses through recognised universities worldwide such as RMIT, Massy University NZ, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Swinburne Uni. I was 15 years old when I started participating in courses through universities. At 16 years I was accepted into a business scholarship in Sydney.

Do you have any advice to offer other home educated students considering doing what you’re doing?

Follow your dreams. Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done. Be you and be proud of who you are and the achievements you’ve made. Don’t be scared to think outside the square or take paths that are ‘different’ to the standard worldly way. You are unique and have something to offer.

Name: Theo

Age: 22

Years home educated: All my life

Did you/your family follow any particular home ed style?

Eclectic, with lots of unit studies.

What are you currently doing?

BA Arts, majoring in History and Politics at ACU. I’m in my second year (2020).

What pathways did you take to get there? How did you meet any prerequisites the course required?

I did five Open University units in maths, writing and history.

Do you have any advice to offer other home educated students considering doing what you’re doing?

I spread my units out over about a year. If I was doing it again, I’d chose to do a full load.