Home Education is becoming a popular choice for parents in Australia who are concerned with mandates and potential impacts on medical freedom for their children. Freedom Keepers Australia is focussed on supporting families with empowered solutions.
What is home education?
Home education is when parents take back the responsibility for educating their children. We are not looking to implement school at home, which is why the term home 'education' is preferred over home schooling. Instead we are looking to provide our children with a fulfilling education around the family environment, and recognising that learning happens anytime, and anywhere.
It allows the opportunity to meet individual needs, supporting your child on their unique journey and learning requirements. As parents, we are the facilitators of their education, providing the materials, mentors, experts, information as needed. No formal education is required for parents to home educate - as parents, you know best for what your child needs to thrive, and providing the best opportunity for them is what is needed.
What about socilisation?
A common concern parents may have is around socialisation. Many families find that there are plenty of opportunities for community events and gatherings where home education students gather and learn together. Reaching out to local groups, or putting a call out to curate your own, is a good option to get started. You may find you need to organise the experience to meet your families specific need and find those who would enjoy doing a similar topic with you.
What about attending university and further education options?
Home educated students are able to attend higher education such as university and TAFE, through a variety of pathways, such as Open University, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), mature age entry, etc. As children often have a vested interest in a particular subject, they have the advantage of immersing themselves in topics to a much deeper level then if they were at school.
How do I home educate?
How home education is applied will vary from family to family. There is no one right way to do this. There are many different educational philosophies (such as Montessori, Steiner, Unschooling, Charlotte Mason, Classical, to name a few) which you may resonate with to assist with providing resources and/or curriculum to support your journey. There is no need to become exclusive to any of these styles - most families would probably tell you that they are eclectic, taking certain aspects from a variety of resources and pulling together what works best with their children.
Registering for Home Education
Home Education is a legal option in every state and territory in Australia. An overview for these specific requirements can be found here.
There are many home educating families within our Freedom Keepers communities. Please reach out to your specific local chapter to connect in with a local group to see if there are any close by. Supporting one another is key to ensuring vibrant, healthy, and happy families.
Freedom Keepers Australia will be hosting a community call on Home Education in March 2022. Further information will be released shortly. Please keep updated by following our instagram pages.
In the meanwhile, you can watch the following video by Stand Up Australia tour, with one of our Freedom Keeper Chapter Leader's, Anna Grillo, discussing all things home education.