Articles:

• Radical Feminist Mothers and Why We Need Them by Isabel shapcott
• How Homeschooling Helped Us Stay Married by Beverley Paine
• A Mathematician’s Lament by Paul Lockhart
• I Don’t Even Like Horses by Carleen Sing
• Liam Sing: Brumby Trainer by Jude Parsons
• Institutionalisation and Deschooling by Kah Ying Choo
• Days of Knights by Jude Parsons
• What Kind of Teacher Are You? by Beverley Paine
• Full Time Work, Full Time Home Education by Kate Frishman

Plus our regular features…

Purchase this issue for just $10 plus postage
Subscribe to Otherways for $40 per year

Back issues of Otherways are available from our Online Shop.

Bairnsdale Home Educators
Contact Cynthia McStephen
Email: cynmcs@yahoo.com.au
Phone 5156 8929

Ballarat Home Education Group - Junior Group
Families meet regularly at Eastwood Leisure Centre, Ballarat.
All welcome to share in sporting, art and social activities.
Gold coin contribution at each visit to Eastwood please.
Community skill-sharing encouraged.
Coordinator: Lynda Russell: Phone: 0401 807 649
Lynda:  ballarat.home.education@gmail.com

Ballarat Home Education Group - Senior Group
Sandra Herbert: s.herbert@ballarat.edu.au or 5342 8827

Bellarine Peninsula Home Educators Support Network
Meets occasionally.
Contact Claire on 5251 3146 or Email claire@ryden.com.au

Bendigo Home Educators and Learners
Contact: Susan Wight (03) 5439 5134
Email: robwight@optusnet.com.au
Email group advising local activities and events
Or join the email group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BendigoHEALS

Castlemaine and District
Meets weekly for activities and excursions. There is also a study group meeting for Maths on Monday afternoons in Maldon.
Contact: Susan Wight (03) 5439 5134
Email: robwight@optusnet.com.au

Cardinia Area- ‘A Bunch of Us’
Meet regularly for Activities. Newsletter.
Contact Ali Hudson 5944 3849 or email huddys@bigpond.com

March 5th 11am – 3pm: Emerald Lake Park, Emerald. Melways ref: 127 J4 Parking near children’s play area and water slide. Picnic and bathers again! Maybe bring change for the paddleboats or café. Also good for walking in the bush or around the other lakes. There is also a model railway display, not sure of cost. Puffing Billy does rides from here but you would need to check the timetable.

March 19th 11am – 3pm: Inverloch  Beach Melway ref 628 A9 Head towards Inverloch play/park area, continue along that road bearing Left along to follow beach along, park up past the rocky area in sandy bay area. If in doubt ph Ali 0437 124 498. Bring all things water related, sunscreen, picnic, bathers etc. etc. etc.

Eastern Suburbs Homeschool Support Group.
This is a new group. We have not yet found a venue, but hopefully will in the near future. Yahoo forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eastern_suburbs_homeschool/
All ages welcome.

Eltham Home Educators
(Eltham, Greensborough, Yarra Valley)
The Eltham Home Educators Group meets weekly at Lenister Farm Eltham (melway 21 J11) every Thursday afternoon from 1pm to 5pm. General information on Home Education available, visitors welcome. For more information email Lyn at lml@mira.net

Foothills Group
Meets fortnightly (2nd and 4th Friday) at Selby Community House in Minak Reserve, Selby; 1:00-3:30pm, $5 per family. Organised activities occasionally.
Part of South Eastern Suburbs Home Education Group mailing list/forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SEHE/
Contact: Kylie - 9754 4942 / kylie.wright@iinet.net.au
or Marina - 9753 6234 / marina.dennis@bigpond.com

Geelong Home Education Network
Information and support.
Contact Margaret at ma_anderson@optusnet.com.au

Gifted Home Education Group
E-mail group for mutual support and discussion for those home-educating gifted children in Victoria. We are spread far and wide, but have in common that we came to home education because the school system would not cater for our children’s atypical learning needs. Of course, we now find that home education has many other advantages.
Enquiries: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VHSG/

Grampians Support Group (Ararat, Stawell)
New group; enquiries most welcome
Contact Genevieve - troppokids@optusnet.com.au

HEN Autism Spectrum Home Educators
A group initiated by the Home Education Network for the mutual support of parents home educating children on the autistic spectrum. Parents do not need to be members of HEN to join this list and parents not currently home educating but considering home education as an option for their family are most welcome. Join at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HENASD

Home Educating Families with Young Children
(babies to 8 yr olds as a guide, but all welcome!)
An opportunity for families with young children to come together for play. The warmer weather has encouraged us to meet at a range of outdoor venues (remember hats, etc. and food snacks and drink bottles….)
Thursday 6th March 10.00 am: Royal Melbourne Zoo (Melways Ref: 29E12) Admission fees apply, zoo members free. Meet at 10.00 am Front Main Entrance.
Thursday 13th March 10.00 am: Diamond Creek Heated Outdoor Pool (Melways Ref: 12A5) Admission fees apply. Thursday 20th March 10.00 am: St Kilda Adventure Playground (Melways Ref: 2PB6).

For Inquiries call Anne 9435 0748 / 0432 107 835 or Michelle 9439 5048.

Home Education Network, Gippsland
Contact Wendy Thompson on (03) 5627 5534 or email wendythompson422@hotmail.com

Inner-City Homeschoolers
1st Tuesday of the month 11.00am at Quarries Park, eastern end of Ramsden Street, Clifton Hill. BYO morning tea/lunch plus rollerblades and skateboards (for use at the skate ramp), balls and bicycles.

Enquiries - Jenni rainbowdivas@gmail.com or phone 0409 163 372 or check the HEN Excursion Group emails.

LaTrobe Valley Group
New group meeting at Traralgon Baptist Church once a month.
Contact Linda Peck 5192 4485 or email analise0404@hotmail.com 

Macedon Ranges
Contact Colita Scott (03) 5428 5332 or email: rcscott1@bigpond.com

North-East Natural Learners - Wangaratta, Violet Town, Cobram
Activities and excursions.
Email coordinator at coordinator@home-ed.vic.edu.au

North Western Home Education Group - North Western Suburbs Melbourne
Meet occassionally.
We use the http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HEN_Excursion_Group/ to post details of excursions.

Interested families can email Di at ditat@netspace.net.au or phone 9309 6652.

Peninsula Home Education Network - Mornington Peninsula
A very active group based in the Mornington Peninsula, meets weekly on Wednesday. Ring (03) 9513 2816 for a recorded message with a calendar of events or to leave a message.Snowy River Home Educators
Meet on the first Tuesday of the month. 1.30 p.m. Wairewa Hall for play and chat. All welcome. Please contact Rosanne Trevaskis 03 5155 7242 trevaskis@activ8.net.au or Heather Stuart and Margie who edit the Snowy River home ed magazine 03 5157 9210 heather.stuart@bigpond.com

South Eastern Suburbs Home Education Group
Contact: Join the mailing list/forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SEHE/

Steiner Home Educators
Contact Carol for more information at 03 9646 0506 or
Email: aagren@bigpond.com

Sunraysia Home Educators
Contact Maaike Johnston Ph: 50291523.
Meets occasionally in and around Mildura.
 

Warragul Home Educators (West Gippsland)
For all families that are home-educating or planning to home-educate. The group meets on the last Friday of each month 10.00- 12.00 at the Salvation Army function room 120 Bourke St. Warragul. Cost $5.00 per family all ages welcome - babies to teenagers contact. Contact: Catherine Durant 5626 8252

Warrnambool Home Educators
Interested in making contacts in the area and possibly forming a group?
Contact amunson@bigpond.net.au

Wimmera/Grampians (Horsham and surrounding towns of the Wimmera)
Email Ginny (Warracknabeal) at clarkspark@vic.chariot.net.au

If you would like to get in touch with a group near you, or would like any more information on events and activities, e-mail the event coordinator at coordinator@home-ed.vic.edu.au If you have any corrections or additional information you would like to include for your group, please email webmaster@home-ed.vic.edu.au

Upper Yarra Home-Ed Group

Meets 1st and 3rd Friday of each Month in Yarra Junction for mutual support, general activities and get-togethers. Contact: Donna Hallam (03)59667447. Email: dhallam@people.net.au

Western Australia 

Home Based Learning Network
P.O Box 1356, Subiaco WA 6008

Email: secretary@hbln.org Website www.hbln.org Phone: 0422 264 822

HENS, Albany WA. 
Contact person Natalie Reeve Email: regency@omninet.net.au.

Australia:

Groups at yahoo can be subscribed to at the website and message read there as well.

Homeschool :
email address : homeschool@australia.edu
send an email to homeschool-request@australia.edu with the word subscribe in the body of the email, nothing in the subject

AustralianHomeSchool :
website address : groups.yahoo.com/group/australianhomeschool
email address : australianhomeschool-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
email address : australianhomeschool@yahoogroups.com

Aussie Homeschoolers :
Mica has created a homeschool community at http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/lifelern/index.html Autonomous Education Network, an mc2 community with the capacity to post notices, chat, share photos, events, links and other features. Only created May 2004, it is intended to be a community where unschoolers, home schoolers, life learners, auto-didacts, their families and other supporters can communicate about absolutely anything (within the suitable content parameters of mc2) amongst people who are supportive of autonomous education.

Australian Home Education mailing list :
email address: homeschool-request@list.to Put “Subscribe” in the body of the message.

The Rockpool Forum
Australian & New Zealand Homeschooling Parents
http://therockpool.org/forum/index.php

Joyous Learning Forum
www.joyouslearning.info

Victorian Homeschoolers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homeschool_Victoria
 A yahoo chat group specifically for Victorians to network, exchange ideas, and challenges

Christian Homeschooling:
Email address: ChristianHomeschoolinginAustralia@yahoogroups.com
and the owner has made a few changes to the group. Here is the Web address
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChristianHomeschoolinginAustralia

Gifted Home Education Group
E-mail group for mutual support and discussion for those home-educating gifted children in Victoria. We are spread far and wide, but have in common that we came to home education because the school system would not cater for our children?s atypical learning needs. Of course, we now find that home education has many other advantages.
Enquiries: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VHSG/

HEN Autism Spectrum Home Educators

A group for the mutual support of parents home educating children on the autistic spectrum. Parents do not need to be members of HEN to join this list and parents not currently home educating but considering home education as an option for their family are most welcome.

Join at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HENASD

HomeEd Connect

The aim of this list is purely for helping folks to network. It won’t be a discussion list but rather a place to make introductions and form new friendships - online or otherwise. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeEdConnect/

Overseas Discussion Groups:

John Gatto’s web site has a lively discussion forum at http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/newsletter/index.htm

Unschooling.com has an extensive website of essays and articles, as well as a number of discussion boards. Go to http://www.unschooling.com/ for the list.

Lyn Saint (03) 94131 4826 lml@mira.net
Sandra Herbert (03) 5342 8827 s.herbert@ballarat.edu.au
Barb Dennis barbdennis@bigpond.com
Jeanie Clark clarkspark@netconnect.com.au
Anthony White
Josh Fergeus
Fred Cahir
Deborah Lapthorne

Those listed with contact details are members of HEN and happy for you to contact them if you have issues you would like raised at the next meeting of the Homeschooling Advisory Committee.

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.

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

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/06/14/15041_news.html

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/06/07/14799_news.html 
The newspaper story contains a link to Elijah’s video message.

Elijah’s letter was discussed on the Sunrise show
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=1341467&cl=8244876&src=y7lifestyle&ch=

Michael Carr-Gregg, psychologist and expert on bullying, was interviewed for the segment and talked about bullying as a major public health problem in Australia and suggests homeschooling as one possible solution. He states that 42% of Australian Year 7 students feel unsafe at school.

We’re  inviting home educated people of all ages to participate in a read-a-thon organised by one of our members to help raise funds for TEAR Australia (see below).

If you’re home educated, and would like to be part of the read-a-thon, all you have to do is register, find at least one sponsor, and start reading. The read-a-thon will run from June 1 to August 31, and you can register at any time during these three months .

If you would like to register, please send Grace an email with your name and email address.  She will then send you a sponsorship form. Grace’s email address is vampir12@bigpond.net.au. If you don’t have access to email, or if you would like more information, you can phone her on (03) 9557 8262.

P.S. Everyone who participates in the read-a-thon will receive a certificate from TEAR Australia. The person who raises the most money will receive a $30.00 gift card from book sellers, Angus & Robertson.

TEAR Australia works in Australia and overseas to create opportunities for people living in poverty to change their lives and their circumstances.
TEAR is involved with development, relief and advocacy projects which focus on the poorest and most  marginalised people, and give priority to their rights, interests, needs and capacities.
TEAR seeks to address both the symptoms and the causes of poverty through projects that produce tangible, lasting improvement in the lives of the people they serve.
TEAR hopes to strengthen individuals and communities in their efforts to address their own development priorities into the future.
For more information visit   www.tear.org.au or phone 1800 244 986.

Home Education has always been legal in Victoria but the legal situation changed in 2007 when the The Education and Training Reform Act came into effect on 1st July.

Under its terms home educators are required to register with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA). The VRQA website contains information on registration together with an application form and support materials or you can contact them on 9637 3386 to have a set sent out to you. We also have a copy available on this website vrqa-registration-form.pdf or you can request one by post by contacting HEN via Sue at robwight@optusnet.com.au or phone 54395134

Regulations for the Education Act are available here but this document is very large and includes all the regulations for schools. We have extracted the regulations pertinent to home education in the following pdf which contains details of the new legal situation for home educators complete with excerpts from both the legislation and regulations. The format of the registration form (schedule 6) is included.

victorian-legal-information-jul-07.pdf

For some other state laws see links to home education groups in each state (in no particular order):

If you have any other, more recent information about homeschooling laws around Australia, please email us at coordinator@home-ed.vic.edu.au