Queensland Labor Buckles Under Pressure

I’m grateful for the news that the State Labor government has buckled under pressure and agreed to withdraw its flawed legislative changes to homeschooling. 

The overhaul of Queensland’s Education Act was put forward in state parliament last month. Two of the policies within the Bill triggered a staggering 900 public submissions via state parliament. Along with the many horrified parents, the Home Education Association stepped in and criticised many of the key reforms calling for a Home Education Advisory Board in its submission.  

Australia is famous for its ‘homeschooling’ successes. By virtue of the vast distances, many rural and regional families have used distance learning for decades with a choice of curricula.   

Homeschooling is an important right for Australians – in many cases it’s the only way to solve problems with bullying, to help low achieving students and give high achieving students the stimulus they need. Homeschooling families are a rising demographic, and act as an important barometer to assess how schools are serving students and parents.  

Yet again, Queensland’s Labor government failed to consult with or listen to Queenslanders. The proposed Education Bill’s changes to homeschooling were a knee-jerk reaction aimed at cracking down on parents who choose to educate at home. Many of these parents reached out to me in alarm.  

The vast majority of homeschooling parents are deeply invested in their children’s education and wellbeing. It’s their motivating factor. These families strive for a diverse education that reflects the individuality of children. They’ve chosen not to adopt the cookie cutter curriculum available in state education and are aware the proposed changes would undermine the very reasons why they’ve chosen homeschooling as the preferred mode of education for our children.    

The Bill proposed to amend the Education (General Provisions Act) 2006 and other legislation to:  

Modernise and improve education services by:  

• enhancing the regulation of home education and streamlining the home education registration process  
• removing the use of gendered language  
• acknowledging wellbeing, inclusion and diversity  

Below, I want to share some of the feedback I have received from homeschooling parents along with some research my staff has undertaken on this topic. Like you, I’m aware this threat to homeschooling has not gone away. Australians must retain the freedom to educate our children without the indoctrinating influences being pushed on Australians through the efforts of the UN-WEF-WHO conglomerate. That much is clear in the voices of parents who wrote to me.  

What did QLD homeschooling families say about the proposed legislation?  

“This proposed change to legislation is not in children’s best interests because it removes a parent’s fundamental right to home educate their child. It proposes that parents need to “prove” home education is in their child’s best interests. Who gets to decide this? The same education system that many of these parents see as having has failed their children? The same education system that is seen as ‘grooming’ children to become transgender and introducing them to inappropriate sexualised content and behaviour in response to guidance from the United Nations World Health Organisation – a foreign organisation with no jurisdiction in our country?”  

“The essence of homeschooling lies in the freedom it affords children to learn in a manner that aligns with their individual interests, abilities, and learning styles. By imposing a mandated curriculum, these proposed changes would impede my children’s autonomy and hinder their ability to pursue education in a way that best suits their needs. If governments want parents to act more like teachers and follow the Australian curriculum, should they not also receive proper funding and a wage? It’s been reported that home educators save the government, and therefore taxpayers, upwards of $22,000 per homeschooled child.”  

“One of the primary motivations for homeschooling is to provide our children with a personalized learning experience that fosters their intellectual curiosity and allows them to learn at their own pace. These new regulations threaten to restrict this flexibility and stifle their natural inclination to explore and discover the world around them.”  

“Enforcing a standardized curriculum fails to recognize the diverse interests and talents of homeschooling students. It overlooks the fact that every child is unique and may thrive in different subject areas or learning environments. By imposing rigid educational requirements, we risk depriving our children of the opportunity to pursue their passions and develop their full potential.”  

“In essence, these proposed changes would not only undermine the fundamental principles of homeschooling but also limit my children’s ability to learn and grow in a way that honours their individuality and creativity.”  

“Ms Di Farmer, the Minister of Education seems out of touch with Homeschooling Education and has not even consulted with the homeschooling parents concerning these amendments. She received over 1300 negative comments within a few days on her Facebook page from upset and angry homeschooling parents that do not want these changes implemented.”  

“These staggering amendments to this legislation are an attack on every homeschooling family and taking away the freedom to choose how to educate our own children in the best possible way. The current Australian Curriculum, with its rigid structure and overloaded content, often fails to resonate with many children and can lead to disengagement from the learning process. It is evident that a one-size-fits-all approach does not effectively cater to the unique learning styles, interests, and abilities of every student.”  

“The Australian curriculum is not in the best interest of every child and parents should have the right to choose the best way to educate our children. These legislative changes would have a detrimental effect on homeschooling parents and children. This is effectively taking away parental rights and the freedom of choosing the best way to educate children.”   

“Rather than imposing stricter regulations, Queensland should celebrate the individuals who are prepared to give their time and energy to their children. The results often speak for themselves, and Australia benefits from this commitment and must honour this freedom of choice.”     

“A collaborative dialogue is always a better approach. The committee could view the commitment level of homeschooling parents which constantly ensures that these children have access to a high-quality education that meets their unique needs.”   

“It appears that the committee would be better off prioritising understanding and addressing the root causes of homeschooling trends. This entails listening to and considering the feedback from homeschooling parents, who are directly impacted by these legislative changes. Their insights and experiences are invaluable in shaping effective policies that support the diverse needs of families while ensuring the well-being and educational success of children.”  

“We need to work towards a more inclusive and responsive educational system that respects the choices and concerns of all families.”  

Homeschooling across Australia  

Data from Queensland’s Department of Education shows a 20% increase during 2023, with 10,048 registered home schoolers up from 8,461. Over the last five years, there has been a 152% growth in primary students and 262% growth in high school students who are home schooled in the state.  

In New South Wales, 12,359 students were registered for homeschooling in January 2023, a 37% jump on the 2022 figures. In Victoria, the most recent figures show there were 11,912 homeschooled students as of December 2022, an increase of 36% since 2021.  

Across the country, there are more than 43,000 legally registered homeschooled students.   

Lion’s Education (a homeschooling site) says, the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the way we educate children. The disruption to our lives forced people to throw convention out of the window and rapidly adapt to how we work, study and interact, shifting the dial on the ‘norm’. Homeschooling during this time is just one way that opened the door to new alternatives to help children learn and grow up to become productive members of society.   

As a result of the pandemic, many Australian parent’s hands were forced to adopt a hybrid education style as children could not attend regular school, causing various disruptions to their learning.  

Why are numbers growing?  

A 2023 Queensland government report shared data from a survey of more 500 parents in the state who homeschooled their children. It found 45% of families surveyed never intended to homeschool. It also found 61% had a child with a disability or health issue, including ADHD, autism, behavioural issues and mental ill health. Many also had concerns about bullying.   

Families also reported their child was not learning at school, and not wanting to go, so homeschooling became the only choice available. This reflects academic research, which finds most families who choose to homeschool have negative school experiences, withdraw because of bullying or are neurodiverse.  

While homeschooling was growing before the pandemic, the school-at-home arrangements during COVID led to a large growth in numbers. For some families, the experience showed them that learning at home was possible and enjoyable and they decided not to go back.  

Homeschooling is a valid choice  

International research suggests homeschooling outcomes are as good as at mainstream schools in terms of academic success. Homeschooling can work because it suits some children better and parents are motivated to help their children learn.  

• The home-educated typically score 15 to 25 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests (Ray, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2024). (The public school average is roughly the 50th percentile; scores range from 1 to 99.)   
• 78% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in institutional schools (Ray, 2017).  
• Homeschool students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income.  
• Whether homeschool parents were ever certified teachers is not notably related to their children’s academic achievement.  
• Degree of state control and regulation of homeschooling is not related to academic achievement.  
• Home-educated students typically score above average on tests that colleges consider for admissions.  
• Homeschool students are increasingly being actively recruited by colleges.  
• Research on homeschooling shows that the home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development. Research measures include peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.  
• 87% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools (Ray, 2017).  
• Homeschool students are regularly engaged in social and educational activities outside their homes and with people other than their nuclear-family members. They are commonly involved in activities such as field trips, scouting, 4-H, political drives, church ministry, sports teams, and community volunteer work.  
• The balance of research to date suggests that homeschool students may suffer less harm (e.g., abuse, neglect, fatalities) than conventional school students.  
• Adults who were home educated are more politically tolerant than the public schooled in the limited research done so far.  
• 69% of peer-reviewed studies on success into adulthood (including college) show adults who were home educated succeed and perform statistically significantly better than those who attended institutional schools (Ray, 2017).  
• Adults who were homeschooled participate in local community service more frequently than the general population (e.g., Seiver & Pope, 2022).  

Source: Research Facts on Homeschooling – National Home Education Research Institute (nheri.org)  

Summary  

If the state government wants more of a say in homeschooling it should consider doing more work with families. Listen to them, consult with them, and include parents in policy making about home education. Parents will see compliance with the legislation they helped create as a way to support their child’s education, not as a “punishment” for not sending them to a mainstream school.  

In Victoria and Tasmania, homeschooling families have been included on boards providing advice to government about regulation. This is what Queensland needs and hopefully what will happen now that the Bill has been squashed.  

No amount of documentation will help parents do a better job of homeschooling their children. The vast majority of homeschooling parents are capable and attentive to their children’s needs. The fact that these families are dissatisfied with the curriculum and the quality of education in the school system for their children’s needs says it all. It’s in the best interests of the state and federal governments to look to their own backyard and work out what they’re doing to ensure the best interests of the children put into their care are being met.  

Governments should also look more closely at why families leave schools. We know families are not homeschooling as an “easy option.” Often they are doing it because it’s a last resort and the school has let them down. Children who are being bullied or refusing school are better off at home.   

If you, as parents are prepared to make the effort to educate their children, the least the state can do is support you.