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One Way to Protect Home Education Diversity by Beverley Paine, 2013 I create and sell homeschooling planners, diaries and reports but my take on this is that if using something someone else has developed, and that's what you want, and it works for you, okay, fine. But I'd much rather we all sent the registration authorities what we plan to do and a summary of how we've done in it in our own words, and in our own way. Why? Because it means they can't claim that 'most' home educators are 'happy' with the particular templates we're using and then change the home ed application and review process based on this very structured approach to planning and recording, embedding it into policy and then regulation. Because it looks and feels and sounds and reads like 'school' and that's what they're used to, even though home education can look and be nothing like school! The way I see it, it's a rather sneaky roundabout way of claiming we were 'consulted' too. Our passive compliance with a school-like recording structure tells them that's what we want... The benefits of this are two-fold: firstly, to support and protect diversity of home education practice (which, I believe is essential to the survival of this option); and secondly, because together with writing your own learning program (personalised curriculum) you will clarify your needs as well as your child's educational needs and will get a better sense of what home education is and means to your family. Sure, I know it's a bonus that it makes work for the home education officers and they have to think a little harder than they might like, but they are getting paid to do that work. And remember, we're helping them expand their understanding of a subject that they are passionately interested in: education and learning. Once they get over the nine-to-five hassle of having to look at something different they'll enjoy the challenge and learning working with home educating families brings. I'm not a school teacher though, I am not teaching dozens of (usually same aged) children at the same time. My environment is considerably different and it is inappropriate (and inefficient) to impose classroom methods of education into the home education environment. Our strength lies in our diversity: the fact that we're not a homogenous bunch of people all doing the same thing in the same way. We need to protect this strength and be assertive when it comes to working with the home education regulative authorities in our states/territories. Was this article helpful? Was it worth $1.00 to you? Your gift of $1 or more helps to keep this site operating offering encouragement and reassurance to families wanting better outcomes for their children. Beverley Paine with her children, and their home educated children, relaxing at home. Together with the support of my family, my aim is to help parents educate their children in stress-free, nurturing environments. In addition to building and maintaing this website, I continue to create and manage local and national home educating networks, help to organise conferences and camps, as well as write for, edit and produce newsletters, resource directories and magazines. I am an active supporter of national, state, regional and local home education groups.
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and Learning without School! We began educating our children in 1985, when our eldest was five. In truth, we had helped them learn what they need to learn since they were born. I am a passionate advocate of allowing children to learn unhindered by unnecessary stress and competition, meeting developmental needs in ways that suit their individual learning styles and preferences. Ours was a homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning family! There are hundreds of articles on this site to help you build confidence as a home educating family. We hope that your home educating adventure is as satisfying as ours was! Beverley Paine
The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.
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