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Supporting Home Educators Across Australia

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The journey begins at home

There has never been more access to information about home education or curriculum or methodologies. But this also means there is a huge onus on us to be able to sift through the vast stores of information in order to make sense of the world and what is available to us and to help our children grow up to be the best people they can be.

Collective Intelligence (CI) is the capacity of human collectives to engage in intellectual cooperation in order to create, innovate and invent.

Pierre Levy

Ed Consult is there to help you learn all you need to know about Home Education across Australia. Follow the Ed Consult blog and Youtube Channel here in order to become fully informed about what home education is, what part governments play, when there are benefits to home educators and their families, and when you should be informed of challenges facing our diverse community.

In truth, it has never been easier to home educate your child than today. With access to reliable internet, a library card, some energy and enthusiasm, you have the power to create, innovate and invent the most exclusive and individually tailored education, better than the most expensive and exclusive private schools in Australia.

The blog and video series will clarify your rights, your understanding and help give you the tools and language to deal with:

  • Managing doubt from your families, the community or even yourself about your own home education journey.
  • Registration issues,
  • Home visits in states and territories that have them,
  • Helping students transition to tertiary education pathways 
  • Explore alternative education to the mainstream institutional classroom learning.

The blog and videos will also explain:

  •  Financial assistance that is available to some families depending on their circumstances,
  • Any benefits such as discounts for museums and galleries, remote and regional internet access, group online subscriptions not available to individuals, and discounts at some stores in Australia,
  • Insurances: for home educators organising events, and for students’ work experience needs,

But more importantly

To keep the Australian community up to date on issues affecting lobbying efforts with governments at all levels that affect you, the home educator or parent or guardian of young people.  And to help educate the Australian community as a whole; Clearing up any misunderstandings or confusion as to what alternative education pathways look like for our children.

Ed Consult has the support of some of the most respected home educators across Australia. They have been there and done that, and who have generously provided support and fact checking to help make this resource accurate and reliable to help you make critical decisions with confidence on your child’s journey from Primary to tertiary education, and beyond to the work force and a happy and fulfilled future adulthood.

You can play a part

You can contribute in the comments section with questions you need answered, or you can utilise the blogs and soon to come, letter writing section of this website to support you in your interactions with greater Australia in relation to your right to home educate your child. We all need support from time to time, and Ed Consult is here for you.

“An informed parent or caregiver becomes empowered, and empowerment can lead to the best care for our children.’

Charisse Montgomery

Ed Consult. Supporting Home Educators Across Australia.

Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Studies: Part 1

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Over the past 20 years, pathways to tertiary education have expanded dramatically. This has significant implications for students who are both home educated and schooled students.

This is the first of four blog posts on the subject of alternative pathways for home educated students. Be sure to subscribe to read them all to be fully informed on many of your options.

One of the common negative comments heard by the home education community is that home educating your child will rob them of a successful future. This could not be further from the truth.

There is no specific limitation preventing a home educated child gaining access to higher education and a satisfying career.

There are many pathways to careers, and ways to gain access to relevant university courses, TAFE  and other qualifications. Completing year 11-12 in any state or territory in Australia is but one of those pathways; some home educated students may choose to attend mainstream school for years 11 and 12.

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It is not the strongest … that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.

Charles Darwin –

In this series I will be looking at some, but not all pathways into tertiary education.

However, home educated students can enter tertiary studies in any number of other ways. Here are a few of those entry doors:

A TAFE Certificate qualification, studied on campus or online, through TAFE or another private RTO (Registered Training Organisation) can be a good transition from home education to a career, or a pathway to a University degree. A student 15 years or older can apply for many courses without any prerequisites, simply by applying online directly with a course provider. See the Ed Consult Blog for NSW TAFE for more information. Always inquire about any government funded placements when enrolling, especially if you are a health care card holder.

If your student wants to complete a university qualification they will need to determine which pathway to use. Once your student has identified the desired course and the university, consult the Course Handbook which is available on the website of the University, and look at what first year subjects are studied and any assumed knowledge, in order to identify ways of demonstrating the student’s competence. You may contact the university entry administration and discuss your situation with them. Ask for a contact in the specific faculty to talk directly to the Head of Department about prerequisites that that particular course may require. This is also an opportunity to show a student’s portfolio of related work as a simple entry in without any other requirements.

The following options are but a few of the other possible pathways. In my experience of tertiary education, the administrators don’t necessarily know all the answers and can give poor advice, especially as an alternative pathways candidate. Always check with the faculty directly on the requirements.

Most institutions offer alternative entry to applicants who do not meet the usual admission requirements. When considering your application, institutions may take into account the following:

  • Distance education and curriculum providers may provide completion certificates
  • Tertiary preparation courses
  • TAFE courses also offering pathways to university
  • Open University units
  • Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT 1 results
  • Special Tertiary Admissions Test or STAT results
  • Alternative entry schemes and programs which are provided by the universities themselves
  • Professional/paraprofessional qualifications
  • Employment experience
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

It is really important that you check if any of these options are accepted before choosing this pathway for the particular university course that the student wants to pursue. Ask lots of questions and share your learning with administrators if you think they are giving you the wrong information. Be Brave, be bold but be kind too, and you could be helping fellow home educators who come after you.

Subscribe to Ed Consult blog to stay up to date with this special on Pathways to Tertiary Education series.

Ed Consult would like to thank Beverley Paine, Susan de Wall, Zsa Zsa Kiss, and Tamara Kidd for their support and input into this research project. Thank you.

Ed Consult. Supporting Home Educators and Parents Across Australia.