Hi Seether

Maybe you are somewhat missing the point. There ARE no guidelines at this stage. If the Act is passed in current form, as I understand, the guidelines can change at a whim...without having to go through parliament. If the government requires minimum standards let them be up front and tell us the standards required.

Hi Seether, it is true, we have not seen these regulations. However, the regulations proposed in the 1992 bill that attempted to legislate against home education in Victoria included:
The provision to enforce the manner of instruction, the curriculum, the method of teaching and the range of subjects.
Only 4 children were allowed to be home educated in one family.
There were extensive powers for officials to enter home educator's property when they wished, and to demand information.
A prosecution could be brought against a family without them even being present at the hearing and there was provision for children to be forcibly removed from their homes. A successful prosecution would have constituted a criminal offence.

Many of those who were behind this bill in ’92, are behind this current legislation. This new legislation looks less threatening but, the vagueness of it actually allows for all of those ‘92 regulations to be implemented. If the Victorian Government's true intention is for minimal regulation, why then is this not reflected in the bill?

Re Home Schooling:

Well what a trendy new invention. Protective mothers for whatever reason deciding that they are competent enough to give their children education, social interaction, sports and exposure to technology is just not on.

I support the government 100%, the child will do better at school. If we want to end social interaction as we know it, keep home schooling these sheltered little angels.

Bullying is part of life. Your child must face it, conquer it or deal with it. This is life. it is terrible, but we cant wrap kids in cotton wool, they need to experience it and it is part of growing up.

The government should decide, not the mother, not the child.

Homeschooling...a trendy new invention?? Maybe you should research when and why mass schooling began!

Imagine if they brought in the four children law...how would I decide which of my two children would be 'punished' with the school system. Better start behaving kids!

Hi Realist,
Before posting such a forceful outburst on a public forum, perhaps it would be wise to acquaint yourself with a few facts about the movement you oppose.

The fact you have described home education as a new idea would indicate that you know little about the subject. Home education has a history much older that the mass education you so caustically champion.

As to your comment that the child will do better in school, extensive research proves you wrong. Home educated children often out perform their schooled peers in standardised testing. Many school children are functionally illiterate by the time they leave school. Many have poor numeracy skill. Not so home educated children.

You concern regarding social interaction is unfounded, research shows that home educated children are more often better socialised than school children, as they mix with a large variety of people every day, and are not simply stuck in a classroom with one adult and 25 children of the same age.

There are those who have difficulty coming to terms with the notion of home education. This is due to the fact that home education requires the ability to think outside the box. Some people have become so institutionalised they can not see that education is not confined to school.

Come on folks - let's see the new legislation for what it really is.
The ALP and the Minister are representing the interests of the Australian Education Union. How many home educators are paid up union members? How many kids are leaving the state system to get away from the appraoch to education that is supported by the AEU? The ALP /AEU are doing what they do best - protecting the interests of teachers. In this case by restricting the move to home education. Nothing surprising in that.