Otherways: Home Education Network

The federal government has introduced a controversial bill to link welfare payments to school attendance. They intend to trial this system in WA and NT before rolling it out in other states.

Home education is not truancy so this should have no effect at all on registered home educators but will be a problem for unregistered home educators if this plan proceeds as they stand to lose their centrelink payments.

There is opposition to the scheme from the opposition, the public and within the ALP.

Relevant news articles:

August 25: Govt to Trial Welfare Cut Scheme in NT, WA
August 26: Truants Have No Chance in Life: McKew 
August 26: Labor MPs Cry Foul Over Welfare Cuts
August 27: Schools Asked to Dob in Truants to Centrelink
August 27: Truancy Plan Should Give Parents Rewards: Welfare Group
August 27: Government Urged to Consider Student Engagement Officers

• Leave a comment... (0)

Home education need not be expensive. You can home educate with a library card, the resources you already have at home and free resources in your community. An Internet connection is also extremely useful if you can afford it. Many commercial homeschooling supplies are available if families choose to use them and prices vary. So there is no specific cost of home education - it can cost very little or it can cost thousands of dollars - depending on what method and resources you choose to use. We advise families to look carefully at materials before making a large investment. It is unfortunate when families spend a lot of money on a resource and later find their money could have been better spent.  See our articles Home Education on a Budget and Less than a Dollar a Day Home Education.

There is no specific financial assistance to home educators in Australia and home educators are not generally eligible for the Education Maintenance Allowance. However, home educaton is recognised as a valid form of education and, as such:

• The government exempts registered home educators from the Welfare to Work laws
• Victorian home educators are entitled to the School Start Bonus
• Those with a health care card are entitled to free use of the School Dental Service
• Chidren enrolled in a state approved distance education programme and those being home educated for medical reasons may be entitled to the Isolated Children Allowance.
• Home educators can claim the Education Tax Refund.

• Leave a comment... (0)

Home educators are eligible for the Education Tax Refund if they are also entitled to Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A for the relevant financial year and are registered with the relevant state organisation (e.g. The VRQA in Victoria).

Eligibility for the rebate will also be extended to families in which a child would be eligible for the FTB Part A payment except that they receive a benefit such as Youth Allowance, a disability support pension or ABSTUDY. Children receiving these benefits are automatically disqualified for FTB Part A but may be covered by the rebate.

Eligible families can claim up to $750 for each child of primary school age and $1500 for each child of secondary school age. The refund is structured as a 50% refundable tax offset. This means that, if a family claims the full amount, they will get a refund of $375 per primary school student; and $750 per secondary school student. The refunds will apply only to educational expenses incurred after July 1 this year.
Eligible expenses include laptops, home computers and associated costs (repair and running costs or leasing), home Internet connections, printers, paper, educational software, textbooks, study guides, learning materials and stationery. If you have more than one school-aged child expenses can be spread between them (e.g. for a computer) as long as each of the children has access to the purchased items.
Receipts must be kept in order to make claims and claims cannot be made until you submit your tax return next year. There will be a section in your 2008-2009 tax return where you can claim the refund and a seperate form will be available from the tax office for those who do not have to fill out a tax return.
If you spend more than the maximum amount claimable, the excess expense can be claimed the next financial year. So if you have a major purchase (e.g. a laptop) you can spread your claim over two years. If expenses are not claimed in either the year of purchase or the following tax year, they will lapse.
If your child is registered as a homeschooler next February (e.g. prep age) then you will be able to claim expenses for half the financial year.

For more information, contact the tax office or see:
The government’s press release:
www.treasurer.gov.au/DisplayDocs.aspx?doc=pressreleases/2008/077.htm&pageID=003&min=wms&Year=&DocType=0
The Fact sheet:
www.treasury.gov.au/documents/1394/PDF/Education_Tax_Refund_Factsheet.pdf

• Leave a comment... (0)

HEN has Public Liability Insurance to $10,000,000. Members can access this insurance for the purposes of:

• Venue or camp hire ($10,000,000 is the usual amount required by most venues)
• Small group activities involving up to 150 people
• Volunteers working on behalf of HEN

There are exclusion clauses for adventure activities; volunteers who are drunk and disorderly; and so on. Members and potential members are welcome to peruse the policy to see exactly what they are/would be covered for. If you are a member booking a venue you will need a copy of our certificate of currency which you will need for your venue hire agreement. Contact Lyn at lml@mira.net

We have been told by our insurer and the Education Department that it is not necessary for home educators to take out Work Experience cover. As long as work experience kids are paid a notional wage (even $5), they are covered by Workcare.

Many Home and Contents insurance policies have Public Liability insurance attached to them. In some cases this can be used as extra cover for kids that do volunteer work in the community.

Insurance enquiries from members and prospective members should be directed to Lyn at lml@mira.net

• Leave a comment... (0)

Registered home educators are exempt from the Welfare to Work laws which apply to parents with children over the age of six.

Registered homeschooling is one of the exemption categories along with large families (four or more children aged between 6 and 16), parents caring for foster children and children with significant disabilities.

For more information contact Centrelink on 131764

Victorians: You will need to be registered with the VRQA or the Distance Education Centre. You then give Centrelink a copy of your Registration letter to Centrelink and request that they list you as exempt from the Welfare to Work laws under the ‘registered homeschooler catgegory’.

We have known Centrelink to be reluctant to admit that this exemption category exists. We advise home educators who are having any difficulties to print the press release below and to take it, together with their registration letter from the VRQA (if Victorian or equivalent evidence if from another state) to their Centrelink office and firmly state that they are exempt under the homeschooling category. If you then experience any difficulties, contact the VRQA (or your state registration body) for support.

Quote from a government press release dated 8 November 2005:

Hon Kevin Andrews MP

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service

Hon Peter Dutton

Minister for Workforce Participation

08 November, 2005

Joint Media Release

Parents with exemptions to receive special income supplement

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Kevin Andrews and the Minister for Workforce Participation, Peter Dutton announced today automatic participation exemptions for principal carers who are registered and active foster carers and those providing home schooling or facilitating distance education.

In granting an automatic exemption to these parents, the Howard Government is recognizing the special contribution they are making in their community.

Sole parents in these categories will also receive a higher rate of Newstart Allowance/Youth Allowance payment, that tops up their income support payment to the equivalent of the Parenting Payment Single rate. This supplement recognises that these parents are not in a position to undertake paid work.

Exemptions will be reviewable at least every 52 weeks and parents will still be required to register with an employment service. If they wish to voluntarily seek work while exempt, they will be able to access the same assistance and employment services as other parents.

“The exemptions and supplement are in recognition of the fact that these single parents are choosing to perform ongoing and significantly valued tasks over and above those normally involved in parenting and caring”, the Ministers said.

Links to relevant Centrelink pages:  

Changes to Parenting payment page and this page for other languages which state:

For Parenting Payment (Single) customers - will I get less money if I go on to Newstart Allowance?

Newstart Allowance attracts a lower rate than Parenting Payment (Single), unless you have an exemption for being a registered and active foster carer, or undertaking home schooling, distance education or having a large family (four or more children aged under 16).

Looking for Work? A guide to your options and our services see pg 11 ‘Participation and Activity Test Requirements - exemptions.

• Leave a comment... (0)

Registered Victorian home educators are eligible for the School Start Bonus. The concept is that parents are granted this money to assist with the costs (books, equipment etc) involved with starting school or starting secondary school.

The bonus applies to grade prep and year seven levels or, in ungraded situations, as follows:

• Continue reading or Leave a comment... (0)

By Susan Wight

So you’ve decided to home educate but now you are worried about how you will ever afford all of those flashy curriculum resources, especially if home education means living on one income as it does for most families.

The good news is that home education does not have to be expensive.

You don’t really need that $1,000 Maths program you saw, nor do you need to purchase an entire curriculum or even a reading program. 

• Continue reading or Leave a comment... (0)

By John Peacock

1.   Flip an encyclopaedia
Encyclopaedias are so cheap from Op. shops these days that you could probably get a few for nothing. They have one feature that I like and that is even better than Google. Because there is so much knowledge these days encyclopaedias tend to edit old stuff out to make room for more recent stuff. This means that there are things in the older ones that you won’t access in the more recent versions. In any case, this activity involves choosing a volume and one person riffling the pages while the other sticks his/her finger or hand into the pages being riffled. Wherever it lands that is what you study. If it is just too boring or way out, try again! 

• Continue reading or Leave a comment... (0)

This assistance is paid to all families who have children in boarding school or living away from home in order to attend school. It is also paid for children who are enrolled in a state approved Distance Education programme. If you are home educating your child for medical reasons you may also be eligible for the Assistance for Isolated Children Allowance. You may apply for it on medical grounds and it is available to registered home educators. In order to qualify you require a medical specialist to attest that your child cannot attend school for medical reasons.

The allowance can be applied for through Centrelink, is not income or assets tested and does not affect your Family Tax Benefit. For more details see the Centrelink website or ask Centrelink for the information booklet on Assistance for Isolated Children Allowance.

• Leave a comment... (0)

If you have a health care card you are entitled to free use of the School Dental Service. Simply contact your local school and find out when the dental service will be visiting.

• Leave a comment... (0)