Step 1. Home Education Across the Australian Curriculum

Posted on 27th Dec 2019 by Ed Consult

But what do I teach my child? How will I know? Is there a road map or GPS? Relax, there is quite a lot of information provided by each registration jurisdiction across Australia to help you get started with the paper work and road map.

Start with the Australian Curriculum

In all states and territories across Australia, there are links to the State or Territory version of the Australian Curriculum on the state or territory home education pages. When registering you generally refer to your state or territories’ version of the Australian Curriculum however in Tasmania for example you only need to develop a plan that includes subject areas and how you will cover those areas. Go to the registration body in each area to find out more:

NSW – NESA New South Wales Education Standards Authority
ACT – AED Australian Education Directorate
QLD – HEU Home Education Unit
VIC – VRQA Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
TAS- OER Office of Education Registra
SA – SADE South Australian Department of Education
WA – WADE Western Australian Department of Education unfortunately the link to the home education site appears to be down, they have been notified. (sigh)
NT – Northern Territory Government

Click through the links to find the link of each curriculum and learn the broad areas you are required to have in your Individual Learning Plan (ILP) for each child. This ILP may be over different stages and not all within a single “grade” level. The joy of home education is that the learning plan can adjust to where your child is, rather than what grade their age may place them if in a school.

In general, focus on reading, writing and arithmetic for the primary education years, and then in secondary levels with elective subjects to focus on their interests and special skills to help them develop those skills further. English is a focus for the whole of the child’s education, with maths, geography/history, and science as the core subjects. The other subject areas are at the child and educators’ discretion within the rules for choosing elective subjects of your education region.

For the more stringent home ed registration states in Australia, generally, a cut and paste of each Key Learning Area (KLA) stage statements into a word document with a list of resources or strategies you intend to use for the next registration period, will suffice for the learning plan prior to the home visit in the states and territories where they have them.

In South Australia, when applying for home education, it isn’t called registration due to differences in the Education Act. In SA you need to apply for exemption from school after you register your child at your local school as a student. This process is managed by the principal of the school.

If you have not registered for home education, and somehow the Government becomes aware of this, they will simply contact you and ask you to register or apply for exemption. There are no direct penalties for not registering your child for home education across Australia. If you persist with not registering your child for home education against the directions of the registering body, then the most drastic scenario is that you could be charged with educational neglect. However, this is very rare in Australia with regards to home education.

There is no registration body, that will try to match the ILP with the parent written report upon re-registration the next time. Life happens and learning needs change. The learning that occurred may resemble in a very limited way the learning plan you were initially registered under. Just keep some basic records as you go across the curriculum areas of your child’s educational experiences and the re-registration process will be successful.

Ed Consult. Supporting Home Educators Across Australia.

Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Studies: Part 1

Posted on 7th Jun 2019 by Ed Consult

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.

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.

1. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education A general overview of many of the options.
2. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education A focus on Tertiary Preparation Courses.
3. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education Open university or sitting an exam.
4. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education Apprenticeships, TAFE courses and how to choose the right university for you.

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.

4. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education

Posted on 17th Mar 2019 by Ed Consult

This is the fourth and final blog in this special series on alternative pathways for entry into Tertiary education. To get the full story, click on this link here.

1. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education A general overview of many of the options.
2. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education A focus on Tertiary Preparation Courses.
3. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education Open university or sitting an exam.
4. Alternative Pathways to Tertiary Education Apprenticeships, TAFE courses and how to choose the right university for you.

Many universities offer alternative pathways courses, allowing a student to begin studying at the University of their choice, while gaining admission to their chosen degree through enrolling in single subjects first.

For some degree courses with higher ATAR entry requirements such as medicine of Vet science, it is possible to transfer from a different degree. By choosing appropriate courses in the first semester, and achieving good results, transferring is not difficult. Contacting the institution for advice is recommended.

Since January 2020, both RMIT and UNE have make a policy preventing students under 16 years of age from applying for courses. This change is new and without any justification provided. Subscribe to Ed Consult to keep up to date with changes such as these.

A good investigation into which university to choose should also include a look into feedback from student experience, graduate employment, Graduate Satisfaction and Employer Satisfaction. Some students will just have to use the local university, but if you can choose, than choose with confidence through Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching. Simply type in the course and institution and see what others have to say.

When applying, do also include evidence of any paid or unpaid work experience that is related to the field of study the student is applying for. This could be a letter of reference from the employer or evidence of a period of working in a particular industry through payslips.

Apprenticeships are another pathway, combining TAFE study with paid practical work in order to complete the qualification. Apply directly for an apprenticeship through 1300 Apprenticeship online or apply through an employer such as a local hairdresser or electrician for example. Any certificate IV course is considered as the same level as the final year of high school and is a clear pathway to study at university.

Also, remember to apply for any scholarships or fee reduction opportunities. These are often found on the website of the institution. There are so many opportunities out there, however you may need to ask a lot of questions in order to find out about them.

Home educated students can begin in their early teens to explore careers, and pathways to further education to help them to fulfill their personal talents and aspirations. Non-year 12 certified students can access a wide variety of pathways to enter tertiary education, and to gain qualifications towards any career they choose, and anyone who suggests otherwise is simply wrong.

Ed Consult. Supporting Home Educators and Parents Across Australia.