Once considered an alternative learning solution for those who lived in remote areas only, home schooling has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Following the pandemic-enforced home learning experience, families discovered that in some cases it was the preferred method of education for their child. For others, be it because they are travelling, live remotely, or simply find the structured environment of the traditional classroom education does not work best for their child, home schooling appears to be their best (and often the only) option.
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If you are considering home schooling for your child, no doubt you have a lot of questions
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- What you need to do?
- How exactly it will work?
- Where do you start?
To help you answer those questions and decide if it is indeed the best route for your family, below is a breakdown on what you need to know about home schooling in Brisbane.
Home Schooling vs Distance Education
There are actually two different ways that you can go about schooling outside of a traditional educational facility. This is either through home schooling or distance education. Although this article is going to focus on information for those parents looking to home school, it is good to outline the differences between the two to make sure home schooling was what you were after.
Home Schooling vs Distance Education
Distance Education
Distance Education is more closely aligned to mainstream schooling, is partially government funded, and is a teacher-supervised education model that is run and recognised by each state’s Department of Education.
- In distance education, the school and teacher are responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating student learning programs.
- There are set requirements and timelines for assignments, much like a traditional school but conducted at home.
- All schoolwork and school books are supplied to parents via mail, and similarly, all school work is mailed in and returned, marked.
- Students correspond regularly with the DE supervising teacher by sending and receiving video recordings or calling them if needed.
- At several times throughout the year the student is also expected to attend Mini Schools, with a home visit sometimes occurring too.
If you want to explore home schooling but you still prefer a little more assistance, guidance and structure, than Distance Education may work best for your family.
Home Schooling
Home schooling is self-funded and requires parents to take on the full load of educating their child at home.
- If you choose to home school your child, you need to be prepared to do the research, plan the lessons, and source all of the materials (text books, subject novels, activity sheets etc) to support your child’s learning.
- You will need to check and record your child’s progress to ensure they are meeting the desired educational milestones expected for their year level, as well as supervise its delivery and marking.
Although this may seem like a lot of responsibility, home schooling does allow for a lot more flexibility in terms of timelines and daily schedules, as well as how the child learns the material.
If you would prefer a more flexible, child-lead experience, then home schooling may be the be option for your family.
Home Schooling – Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to register your child for home schooling?
The simple answer to this is yes. In Australia, although home schooling is free and legal, you are required to state register your child for home schooling if they are of compulsory school age (6 – 17 years). If your child is between 15-17 there are some slightly different rules, which take into account the possibility of part-time work or other forms of education such as TAFE or Uni.
To register your child for home schooling in Queensland, you will need to apply to the HEU (Home Education Unit).
How do I register my child for home schooling?
To register your child for home schooling in Queensland you will need to fill out and submit the official application form either online or via paper. Along with the application form, you will also need to support the following support documents.
- Evidence your child is eligible for registration for home education and you, as the applicant, are a parent of the child (e.g. usually a copy of your child’s birth certificate)
- A completed and signed declaration
- A summary of the educational program to be used
- Other documentation may be necessary such as
- documentation linking the name on the application form to the name on the child’s birth certificate
- documentation showing that you have been granted parental responsibility.
Decisions about applications may take up to 90 days. Once a decision is made, notification of registration will be issued via email.
Provisional Registration
If for some reason you need to pull your child out of school temporarily, you can apply for a provisional registration to home school during this period, which is valid for up to 60 days.
An application for provisional registration must be made in writing and include the following information:
- the applicant’s name
- the child’s full name and date of birth
- the address of the child’s usual place of residence
- a written statement declaring the child is not enrolled in a state or non-state school.
When Can I Remove My Kids from School?
You are able to remove your children from school as soon as your application has been received (usually about a week).
Do I need a follow a specific curriculum?
No! If you are home schooling you are not required to follow a particular curriculum. As long are you are providing and can show your child is receiving a high-quality education, that is all that is required. This give both you and your child a great deal of flexibility and creativity when it comes to choosing what will be studied and how.
Can my child get their QCE when if home schooling in QLD?
No. If you are home schooled you are not able to get the QCE, however, there are many other pathways that can be taken for a home school QLD ATAR. You can gain a full university degree by going through Open University. Many home schooling families use this pathway for gaining full degrees or as a Year 12 alternative to get them into a university course.
Education Programs
One of the main pieces of supporting documentation you are required to send in with your application is an Education Program. This is a way to demonstrate that your child will still be receiving a high level of education while under your supervision. It sounds a little daunting, but the HEU offers general information about planning a program on their site, and even include templates that you can use.
Reports
For home education registration to remain current, parents submit an annual written report on their child’s educational progress along with the reporting for registration for home education form.
Prior to the date this is due to be submitted, the HUA will actually send you out information about what is required and with templates and guidelines to help you complete the reporting easily. They also offer useful links and information under the resources section on their site.
An invitation containing a unique link to access the online reporting form will be sent via email when a child’s reporting period opens (in the ninth month of your child’s registration). The link will remain valid until the report due by date (the tenth month of the child’s registration).
Do the requirements for home schooling change once my child is 16?
Once again, senior secondary pathway designs are the responsibility of registered home educating parents. Once your child has completed year 10 or reaches 16 years old, they enter what is called the ‘compulsory participation stage’. At this point, they need participate in one of three eligible full-time options. These include:
- Approved education or training (including registration for home education)
- Paid employment
- A combination of approved education, training and paid employment.
Registered home educating parents should contact the Home Education Unit (HEU) prior to commencing any school-based apprenticeship or traineeship opportunities.
Home schooling support and other things to consider
There are a lot of myths and fears regarding home schooling that make many parents hesitant about taking on this journey with their child. The truth is, there is a lot of support and plenty of resources out there for both the child and the parents. Below are some ways that you can learn more about home schooling and also ways to make it a more enriching experience for you all.
Socialising
Many people think that by home schooling your child you are keeping them from engaging and interacting with other children in critical development social situations. This does not need to be the case.
Like children that attend an actual school, children that are home schooled can still participate in a wide range of extra curricular and curricular activities that will see them interacting regularly with other children. This could be through sports team they are members of, educational excursions they go on, or simply by the day-to-day experiences they endure through travel or exploration.
Homeschooling kids may do their schooling predominately at home, but in many cases they spend less times indoors than kids who go to regular schools.
Home Schooling while working part or full-time
If you are working full-time or part-time, this does not mean that you will not have the time to home school your child. While it will be a juggle, you can choose the hours that your child is learning and can do this during hours that you are not working if necessary.
Many parents also enlist the help of qualified tutors to help make sure their child is reaching their educational milestones. It can be particularly helpful if your child has a subject they are struggling with or even has a particular interest in.
Subject Flexibility
Although students must study the subjects that are required within the Australian Curriculum, there is still a lot of flexibility and choice around this for children who are home schooled.
I had a friend whose son really wanted to learn French, something that had not been offered by his previous school, and while travelling on the road for a year with his family took this on as an additional subject out of interest. He also found that there were other skills and subjects that he had more time to learn about and work on once his standard work from the day was over.
Essential Resources and Support
There are a number of ways to enhance your child’s (and your own) home schooling experience through support groups and resource pools. Helpful things to keep in mind include;
- Home schooling Facebook support groups – Parents that I know who have gone down the home schooling route swear by Facebook groups that have been set up for home schooling families. Filled with tips, support, catch ups and so much more, they offer a knowledgeable and supportive base.
- Home Schooling Certificate – Once you have registered for home schooling you will receive a home schooling certificate. Keep this on hand (or a digital copy of it) as many venues such as museums and galleries will give you free ‘teacher’ entry with it.
- School does not necessarily mean education – As you are ‘educating’ your child and not schooling them, how this looks is completely up to you. Many home schoolers don’t spend a great deal of time doing traditional homework, instead they attend community activities, home school group projects, libraries, travel and do a whole range of hands-on, nature-filled, real life educational things.
- The Educating Parents Support Group Directory – a very useful list of home school support groups around Australia.
- The Educating Parent website – useful resources for home schooling parents.
Whilst I am sure that any parent looking to change over to home schooling has a lot to consider and many questions to ask, hopefully this guide has given you clearer idea of what you need to do to get started.
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