25th February 2017
Education and Training Reform Regulations Review
Attn: Strategic Policy Division Department of Education and Training GPO Box 4367
Melbourne 3001
SUBMISSION ON THE DRAFT EDUCATION AND TRAINING REFORM REGULATIONS 2017
I make my submission as a mother of 3 children, two boys and a girl - currently all school age.
We have home educated for almost 6 years, with one of our boys already returning to the school system successfully to continue study. My husband was himself home educated, being part of a family who have successfully had all four siblings enter a higher education degree and go onto to full time work in employment they enjoy.
As a home educating parent I am very disappointment over the lack of communication and consultation about the proposed change to the regulations in regards to home education.
I would like to see the VRQA abandon these proposed changes and start drafting again, with a collection of genuine data on the current state of home education in Victoria. The Draft and RIS is very vague on the data currently available.
A letter sent from Anna Cronin (Commissioner for Better Regulations) dated 20 December 2016 and addressed to Mr Simon Kent, states “The RIS notes that there is limited data available to inform the evaluation of the current regulations. Consequently, the analysis of the impact of many of the proposed Regulations is qualitative, based on the judgements or assumptions of the Department. Stakeholder feedback on this RIS will be particularly valuable in informing the Department’s understanding of the actual benefits and costs of the proposed regulations.”
I suggest a survey be sent to all who are registered with the VRQA and currently home educating in Victoria (via their supplied email address, provided when registering). This would give the department a much better snapshot of our home educating community - a community which has been
successfully educating children into higher study and the workforce for at least two generations!
PARENTS RIGHT
The Education and Training Reform Act 2006. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/department/structure/edu trainireformact.pdf (1.2.1d) states “parents have the right to choose an appropriate education for their child.” On page 7 of the RIS it clearly states the Parents who register for homeschooling accept full responsibility for their child’s education.
It is a condition of registration that a home-schooled child must receive regular and efficient instruction. The Department considers the current regulatory approach for homeschooling is unable to adequately assure quality in the instruction or educational progress of homeschooled children.
The Department has no workable mechanism to manage the risk of low-quality education for homeschooling. For children missing out on a
quality education during compulsory schooling years, efforts later in life to remedy this situation are likely to be costly, not as effective, and difficult. Fair enough, maybe there’s a problem? If so - show us the evidence that one exists!
Jumping to conclusions that parents are not capable of delivering a high standard of education to their children is simply ridiculous. My husband and his three brothers are all in the midst of highly successful careers in healthcare, advertising and marketing. All home educated.
Every home educator we know is either being properly instructed at home, have moved back into the school system or graduated on to adult life!
I personally can say I am learning more now than I ever did in school. We learn as a family, exploring a variety topics and striving to keep our children engaged and stimulated.
We don’t need any involvement from the VRQA. We’re doing fine by ourselves.
CURRENT 2007 REGULATIONS
“The 2007 Regulations include home-schooling provisions that set the process and conditions for registration. Under these provisions, a child must receive ‘regular and efficient instruction’ that taken as a whole ‘substantially addresses’ the eight key learning areas and is consistent with the principles
of Australian democracy. The current registration process is largely declaratory, requiring parents to:
*submit a completed application form as specified in Schedule 6 (r. 65)
*attest to the VRQA that they will provide home schooling in accordance with the 2007 Regulations
*notify the VRQA every year of whether home schooling will be continued and whether the registration details have changed (rr. 69–70).
The VRQA assesses applications for completeness (signature, date, name, address) and evidence of the child’s date of birth (r. 65). It must give the applicant notice of its decision within 14 days of the application lodgement (r. 66). This minimal regulatory approach is currently in use for home-schooled children.
The parent must attest that the child will receive regular and efficient instruction that substantially addresses the eight key learning areas set out in Schedule 1 of the Act, in a manner consistent with the principles and practices of Australian democracy (r. 68).
Instructional approaches for homeschooling are not defined, and registered parents are not required to address a particular curriculum or use a specified instructional approach.
At initial registration or annual notification, home-schooling parents do not need to explain any curriculum, program or instruction materials to the VRQA.
The 2007 regulations have worked well for our family without the added stress of needing to plan for the year in advance ‘just in case’ we are reviewed.
One of our sons was keen on attending the local public high school at the start of year 7. There was some concern from the school about his academic ability, given they hadn’t seen many home educators before... two achievement awards and a very constructive year later it’s fair to say they shouldn’t have been concerned.
LEARNING PLANS
Parents home educate for different reasons, as the approach to home education may be better suited to children's individual learning styles. This has been the case for our family, I have enjoyed the flexibility to change the way of learning when I have needed too.
As a new home educating parent I would not know where to start to write a plan before my registration was approved as I have had no prior experience, I think the opportunity to understand how my child learns first before having to submit a yearly plan would be a better suggestion - perhaps after 3-6 months of home educating - not a whole year.
Currently in the RIS it isn’t clear on what would be an acceptable or approved learning plan and if it has to be Victorian Curriculum approved. I would like to see the possibility of setting up a mentoring program, where home educating parents can work together to build a support network with new potential home educators. This already does happen informally if they connect via social media or someone they know home educating. Perhaps if it was official with the VRQA it would be more useful to see how home educators are coping and supporting each other.
REVIEWS
My main concerns with the proposed reviews are they are not defined or limited and there is no requirement for the VRQA to employ people with experience in home education to conduct them. I have had a positive experience with the VRQA but know personally of new home educators who have been discouraged by VRQA staff. The ‘Guide to Homeschooling’ contains information that seems dubiously designed to steer people to the alternatives. This does not display the respect home educators deserve.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I would like to see the VRQA abandon these proposed changes and start with genuine collection of data and consultation on home education in Victoria.