Free2Homeschool in Australia – Advocating for a child's right to educational freedom

#free2homeschool Campaign

Home educators taking on the Queensland Education Bill 2024

COORDINATING

Fellow homeschooling communities across the country and the world were in uproar at the over-reach of the Bill.

#free2homeschool

A hashtag that spread across the state, country, and world building awareness on home education and child rights.

EDUCATING

Our community took action to spread the word on home education, whilst gaining petition signatures against the Bill.

What started with a drive to protect the community and ended with home education awareness beyond our expectations ♥

QLD homeschoolers

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State MPs contacted

Petition Signatures

Submissions

the details explained

Proposed changes to home education in the Bill

01.

Imposing a guiding principle that is applied specifically to the home education, separately and in addition to all that is applied to all other forms of education. Also illogically applying clauses from child safety law into education law.

02.

Amending the upper age limit of home education registration, allowing for closer to equitable options for education across the board.

~~~ The ONLY required amendment! ~~~

03.

Removal of provisional registration options under s207 of the Act, which would have left families experiencing extreme or distressing life situations making a choice between completing an additionally stressful full application or be non-compliant, denying access to a period that is no longer than that of a standard summer break that mainstream students already access on a yearly basis.

04.

Removal of provisional registration applied upon application under s208 of the Act, with allowances to collect and collate documents to support the educational plan, which would have denied the immediate access to home education and the ability to protect children from harm or potential harm.

05.

Forcing the requirement to produce a report on the child’s prior and past education if the child had held a registration any time in the 12 months leading up to the application.

06.

Halving the time given with a show cause notice, adding more stress on families allowing only 14 days to address any missing information in plans, reports and applications. Yet still allowing the HEU 45 days to process paperwork.

07.

Removal of the registration certificate. It is already hard enough to have home education respected in the education world and beyond, this would make it harder again.

08.

Changes to what is included in an educational plan, specifically naming both English and mathematics, as well as enforcing a comprehensive list of subjects or learning areas and be in line with ‘an approved education and training program’.

09.

Defining ‘an approved education and training program’ as having to be consistent with the Australian Curriculum, or a senior subject syllabus of QCAA, or a course listed as level 1 or higher under the AQF. Meaning our educational plans would have to be linked and aligned to a form of school curriculum and anything outside of this would have to be additional and above the educational plan content that aligns with the curriculum. This would particularly affect those unable to access the curriculum for whatever reason.

10.

In addition to Queensland home education already being the only state or educational option that has to prove educational progress of the child, it would also be required to do so for every subject or learning area mentioned in the educational program. Requiring a higher bar of home education parents to not only offer a high quality education, but for the child to have to display progress and be assessed on that progress, that is not even required of registered teachers.

Everyday home educating mums who took the concerns of the entire community — all the way to parliament.

Our extended community

Our home educating community came from far and wide to protect Home Education as we know it, protecting and promoting our children’s rights to have the education they want and that they deserve the choice to have.

Putting the spotlight on Home Education

#free2homeschool, the Bill and the media

Brisbane Times - 26 March 2024

"Home-schooling families have launched a fierce campaign against moves by the Queensland government to force them to teach the Australian curriculum."

Brisbane Drive - 27 March 2024

"Some parents are concerned the new laws will actually slow down their child's education, not help them."

Brisbane Times - 28 March 2024

“Home-schooling kids are not, by default, in need of protection from harm."

ABC News - 10 April 2024

"The campaign Free2Homeschool has been calling on the Queensland government to rethink the changes."

ABC News - 10 April 2024

"I think the proposed measures will actually drive families underground." Dr Rebecca English.

ABC News - 10 April 2024

"It seems unfair that as a community of homeschoolers, we are expected to take on this extra piece of child safety legislation."

Australian Associated Press - 16 April 2024

“Queensland Home Educators want to ensure they are recognised, supported and are consulted appropriately, so that any legislation reflects the actual needs of home education in the community,”

Coming soon...

Innocent Considerations...

From the kids' perspectives

We received an overwhelming number of people's testimonials - from those who have graduated beyond home education and those currently schooling - about how and why their experience has helped them to date.
THEIR top 3 most asked questions included:

How will we be assessed - in a normal testing process like with schools or can we be observed pursuing our passions successfully?
Will we have to do only one specific tech area in senior years or can we diversify according to our interests?
Will this mean that my learning experience will be limited to having something like a boring school at home?