My position on this topic is simple, & it should be the position of every Aussie wishing to see the best possible education for our kids.
Home ed is here now, necessary & probably here to stay - support it.
Public ed is here now, necessary & probably here to stay - support it.
This is not a topic that requires argument.
Vastly improved management of the Education system across Australia is definitely necessary. This is where the debate should lie.

Ok Steve, once more I will explain what home educators are objecting to, as again you appear to have missed the point.

Home educators are not so much concerned about registration. What we object to is the fact we are expected to agree to registration under undisclosed regulations.

This is a simple concept to grasp Steve. No one in any democratic society should be forced to comply with undisclosed rules.

Whilst home educators agree that the state has a responsibility to ensure all children are educated, home educators do not wish to give up their right to determine the manner of their children’s education.

The Government has proposed this legislation despite the fact it has done no studies to see how it will impact on home education within this State. The proposed legislation is unnecessary, especially as the existing legislation is more than adequate in this area.

Steve you appear to have something of an agenda here. From the vehemence of your comments, it could be postulated that you are aligned with the ALP in someway. You are certainly highly defensive about any perceived criticism of the State Government.

Realist, your earlier post said "The government should decide, not the mother, not the child", Your next post contained "Kids are not extensions of yourselves, they are individual entities". The posts imply that the government and the children should decide about their education and the parents should butt out!! There are some children who simply do better under home schooling then they could ever do at school (e.g. those with learning difficulties who cannot keep up in a normal classroom, yet are not sufficiently impaired for specialist classes). There are a lot worse things that parents decide for children other then home schooling. My experience of children who have been home schooled has been that as a whole they grow into well adjusted adults. There is plenty of interaction with others - the parents ensure it occurs. Sure some children are disadvantaged, but that occurs in mainstream schooling as well. Like Skilkie said the concern should be with lifting education as a whole rather then how/where it occurs.

Further update to Uni's and TAFE Colleges that Home educated students have graduated from.

S.A
Flinders Uni, Glengale Hunter TAFE, Mitchell C.A.E, Muirden Business College, Muirden Matriculation College, Onkaparinga TAFE, Port Lincon TAFE, South Australian C.A.E, Regency TAFE, Royal Adelaide School of Nursing, Spencer TAFE, Uni of South Australia, Uni of Adelaide,

TAS

Alanvale TAFE, Burnie Tech College, Devonport Tech College, Don College, Drysdale TAFE, Elizabeth College,Hobart TAFE, Launceston College, Launceston TAFE, Tasmanian State Institute of Technology, Uni of Tasmania,

W.A

Burnbury College, Edith Cowan Uni, Midland TAFE, Northan TAFE, Perth Metropolitian TAFE, Thornlie TAFE, Western Australian School of Nursing,Mt Lawley TAFE

N.T.
Northern Territory Uni

INTERNATIONAL

CANADA- Trinity Western Uni

Hong Kong -Youth with a Mission Training School

NEW ZEALAND - Ashten Warner Nanny Academy, Auckland Uni, Central Institute of Technology, Christchurch Polytechnic, Christchurch Teachers College, Massey Uni, Masters Institute, Nelson Polytech, Otago Uni,Taradale School of Nursing, Waikato Uni, Wanganui Polytech,

USA.

A.C.E International Institute, Bob Jones Uni,Chattanoga State Uni, Christian Heritage College, Grand Valley Uni, Liberty Uni, Oral Roberts Uni, Northwest Nazerene College, Tennessee Temple Uni.

These are just the one's I know about, if you know of others add them to the list. Home educated students have access to all Uni's, Colleges, TAFE'S, Apprenticeships and On the Job Training as do all students where ever they schooled. Employees, Uni's,Tafe's and Colleges are interested not only in scores, but in the maturity of the student and if they will cope with the preesure of Futher Education. Home educated students have good results in all these areas.

As you can see home educated students are all over the world and going to a diverse range of colleges and uni's, hardly a carbon copy of their parents, Rather a huge range of individuals choosing a huge range of career's.

Home Education is not for all, just like private education is not for all, neither is religious education for all , but the choice is their for parents and students to make together

The main issue here seems to have been missed by some.

The issue is that the government is proposing changes to the Education Act without fully disclosing what these changes are to be until after they have passed the legisaltion through parliment.

Regardless of whether it is Education legislation, IR legislation, Road & Infrastructure legislation or any other legislation, the government needs to declare its intentions before - not after the changes have been made.

Australians are not fools, we have only the governments past endeavors to go by and so far their track record is undeniable bad.

How many Australians would vote for a party that declares " we will only tell you what we are doing after we have done it" NOT MANY.

The government does not have an open licience to do what ever it wants. The government is only made up of individual people.These polititians were voted in by the people to work for the people.

The people pay taxes , these taxes pay for politicians wages, superannuation, expense accounts and for all improvements to the Australian economy. Without the peoples' money and vote this country is nothing. Stop allowing them a free rein and make them accountable for what they do.

This is our country- most polititians are only in government for 4 years, we have to live with the mess they create for a lot longer.

Chris1.

I have not missed the point. I repeat that we are governed by regulation. Almost all laws allow for regulations to be imposed by a minister, that’s the way things are and always will be.

We do not live in a Democracy I am sorry to say, we live in a Constitutional Monarchy with the separation of powers into legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch.

The executive branch “governs” by regulation!! And we are all forced to comply with undisclosed rules every day of our lives.

We have no “rights” in Australia, except in the ACT where they have enacted a “Bill of Rights” which are probably unenforceable. You do not have the “right” to “determine the manner of your children’s education”. You are able to do this because the executive branch of Government allows you to.

I repeat this review of legislation has been going on since February of last year, and it was announced that the review would take 12 months. Maybe your lobby missed the press releases and did nothing until September, hardly the minister’s fault.

My agenda is not political; it is to stop lobby groups distorting the truth. I am not supporting the Victorian Government I am showing the failings of the home education lobby and their distortion of the truth.

Its good to see so many first time posters on this thread, a bit late but the grapevine must be working.