Seether, your point about home birth is "interesting".

How many women who want to home birth would be happy about the government passing undisclosed legislation that makes it a legal reqirement for them to register with an a board, who have undisclosed powers.

Would they be happy to have to follow the governments standards on birthing and to have to prove that the methods they are intending to use are acceptable to the government.They would then have to apply to the government board so that these government payed employee's can decide if they like your methods and if they don't- off to hospital you go- against your wishes and forcefully if necessary.

I think the home birth association would be up in arms about their right to choice being taken away.

This is what home educators are feeling.

Australia is supposed to be a democarcy with Australians having freedom of choice.

I cannot believe that everybody is so caught up in thier personnel view points, that they cannot see that this issue is about government changing legislation to allow them to take away our freedom of choice.

Realist - What a nasty attitude-

Our job as parents is to protect and provide a safe enviroment for our children. If we do not then social services take them away to a safe place.

Drugs, rape and murder are also a part of life - Lets see your child " face it,conquer it,and deal with it - they need to experience it and its a part of growing up ".

NO its not! It's a part of a very distrubed Adult world that is inflicked on our children if we allow it. Lets stop standards dropping any further. This nasty attitude is not apart of Australian life, though it seems to be coming more the norm, because we are allowing it to happen. Stand up for your children and if you don't have any - stand up for someone else's.

The government released a white paper on 15th September see http://www.home-ed.vic.edu.au/About/proposedchanges.htm

What a load of rubbish that this is now being labelled as sneaky attempt to hide the document over christmas.

Previous update: 30 September 2005
Lyn, Sally and Sue met with the Project Director, Michael Kane and the Legislative Review Executive Officer, Rebecca McTernan on Friday 30 th September. We were told that the proposed new Education Act will acknowledge home education as a legitimate choice for parents along with the choice of government, religious and independent schools. Apparently the reason for the rewrite is that historically the Act was aimed at the running of government schools and that this really needs to be updated to acknowledge the range of choices now available and the parents’ right to choose the type of education they wish for their children. The intent of the legislation is to provide for a diversity of educational options rather than create a prescriptive ‘right way’ to educate children. Whilst plans for the home education aspect of the legislation are in the very early stages the intent is for a minimal level of regulation and they welcome input from home educators on what would be appropriate in this regard.

What a dishonest act, when the Homeschoolers were briefing the Govt in September. And the author of this beat up was at that meeting. Dont let the facts get in the way of a good story.

I'm with those who believe we should see what's coming before we subscribe to it. Why should we submit to rules when we don't know what the rules will be?

Steve, An interesting fact.

Under the current education act in Victoria home education is a legitamate choice for Victorian parents as is religious and independant schooling.The diversity of educational options you speak about are already available. As it stands at present religious and independant schools recieve funding and grants from the government. Home educators do not.

Does the new proposed legislation address this discrination and make the neccessary changes to the budget to include home educators?.

If the governmentis so welcoming to input from home educators, How come there have been no announcements in the papers and on t.v. news about the proposed changes to the education act?

Why have we not seen the current affairs programs running stories on this issue opening it up to public knowledge and debate?

If the government is so open about this issue and so sure its changes will benifit Victorian parents and thier children, why have we not been informed offically about the proposed changes. Why is the government keeping the majority of Australians in the dark?

This is the only place this issue seems to be mentioned.

Steve,
I was at that meeting with the Department and yes that’s what we were told at the time but if you are going to quote from our webpage – don’t take things out of context.

We went to find out what we could about their plans. We left thinking, “Well, it all depends on the wording of the actual Act. No reassurances count until then.

The wording came with the exposure draft on 15th December and we have spent our holidays reading a 446 pp document. How can a sufficient level of feedback from the public occur on an Education Act over the long summer break?

Home educators are reasonable people. We are not totally opposed to registration, simply to the fact that the Act, if passed in its present form, means that registration will be tied to compliance with any regulations decreed in the future, no matter how unreasonable.

We would not object to a clause in the Act requiring us to register, provide efficient and regular instruction and be required to prove it. We are quite prepared to prove we are educating our children, just not to be subjected to the possibility of intrusive and unreasonable regulations.

And on your previous point about opportunity for the government to receive feedback on the Draft law – yes that’s great. We are giving them feedback but we object to the timing. I would rather be on holiday thanks and lots of education people are and therefore have not had the opportunity to provide feedback. People trying to contact their MPs about this issue have found that their offices have been closed for much of the exposure time and have you tried to get an appointment with your local MP lately? If you live in a Labor electorate expect the run around.