Parents who teach own kids on rise

By Stacey Pevitt
First published in Warrnambool’s The Standard,  Tuesday August 26, 2008
Reproduced by permission

The number of students being home schooled across Victoria is on the rise as parents turn their backs on traditional education.

For the first time in Victoria, students who are home-schooled must be registered with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority. As of June this year there were 1564 children registered for home schooling and the state’s home education network says ts membership has tripled since 2002.

Susan Wight, spokesperson for the Victorian Home Education Network (HEN) said it was disappointing the legal emphasis had shifted from education to registration.

“It more or less reflects the way things are done in school – attendance is compulsory but learning is not guaranteed,” Mrs Wight said.

But she said potential home-schooling families had not been deterred by the introduction of compulsory registration. She said there had been a definite increase in the numbers of families deciding to home school their children.

Mrs Wight said a growing number of Victorian families were becoming dissatisfied with the education system which in her experience was largely due to bullying in schools and children failing to thrive in the traditional schooling environment.

“Our phone line and website are busier than ever and our membership has almost tripled since 2002,” Mrs Wight said.

Home schooling is a legitimate non-school based education approach in Victoria which allows families some flexibility in the way in which the educational program is designed and delivered according to a spokeswoman for the education department.

Figures for the number of south-west Victorian students in home schooling are unavailable but Carolyn Jennings, President of Active Minds, a support group dedicated to gifted and home-schooled children in the south-west, said there was both advantages and disadvantages to home schooling.

“Although we have some wonderful teachers some children find it difficult in the mainstream system and blossom in the home-school environment, others miss the social side of it; although home schooling families have a close network and meet regularly,” Mrs Jennings said.

Parents or guardians wanting to home school were legally required to register with the VRQA as of July last year.

Warrnambool resident Samual Gladman received home schooling from prep to year seven and says that the parents involved in home schooling need to be just as committed to the schooling as the child.

“If I had my time over I would probably do home schooling with someone that had more experience in education than my mum,” Mr Gladman said.

A Class of One has its Rewards

James Richter was able to go surfing on a school day as a reward for putting in a hard session on trigonmetry.

Home schooling has its benefits, he says with a grin.

“The hours were good. I used to finish at 2pm and go surfing while my mates were still at school,” he said.

“I was doing trigonometry in year seven and eight where you don’t do that to year nine at high school which was an advantage. But I also worried that I was missing out on things like guest speakers you don’t get with home schooling.”

James, now 22, was taught at home by his father in years seven and eight. He said home schooling worked for him personally but acknowledged it was not for everyone.

He has put his education to good use and is working with his father in the family business as an electronic technician.

Not all experiences with home schooling are as positive as Mr Richter’s.

Warrnambool’s Samuel Gladman, 20, has a constant reminder from his time in the home schooling system. He now struggles to read.

Mr Gladman said that home schooling built character, but students has to be committed to doing their work. He said in the home schooling environment “you are responsible for your own success and failures, unlike in traditional schools”.

“I don’t think my lack of literacy skills is the fault of home schooling but rather a lack of consistency in my education, and that I always preferred to be out on the farm than doing my school work when I should have been,” said Mr Gladman, who is now doing a butchering apprenticeship.