The Home Education Network (HEN) is a volunteer run not-for profit organisation providing support and information for home educators. HEN is the largest, and most vocal, home education support group in Victoria, and we look forward to helping you.

As well as maintaining this website, we run events, camps and activities, and provide home ed support services in the form of a phone helpline, email support, Pinterest boards and Facebook groups. HEN also publishes Otherways, the oldest and most widely read home education magazine in Australia today.

HEN is a parent support group, not a business or government body. Our volunteers are all present or past home educators committed to to helping you find the information you need, put you in touch with the right person, book you into events, or post out things you have ordered, and we strive to do so as quickly and efficiently as possible. Please do keep in mind, however, that we are volunteers educating our children at home (or out of home!). For this reason, we can’t always respond as quickly as you would expect from paid workers. Please bear with us; we are keen to help, but sometimes it just takes a little time.

HEN began in 1980 as the Alternative Education Resource Group (AERG) and provided information on alternatives to mainstream schooling. Some members home educated and others started community schools. Gradually the focus moved to home education and the name of the group was changed to the Home Education Network.

HEN has been at the forefront of political action in order to protects the right and freedoms of home educators in Victoria. Through our lobbying, and mobilising the home education community, we have seen the formation of the Victorian Home Education Advisory Committee where home educators now have a seat at the table.

HEN members are encouraged to log in to the members section and watch the video titled ‘How HEN protects Victorian Home Education with Sue Wight’ .