Learning Styles

Learning styles... I didn't meet this concept until my kids were in their teens so applied common sense only to my children. I learned when they were toddlers that I couldn't parent them the same way. Each child was different! What a surprise. I couldn't discipline Roger the same way as April, so all my research and knowledge on that subject went onto the top shelf and I started again. Thomas presented yet another version of child - eeek! What worked on Roger didn't work on him. I found myself using different parenting, teaching, disciplining... styles with each child. I guess you could say I learned about learning styles in a very natural fashion!

Somewhere along the way I had a sane moment and figured that if I worked out how best *I* learn I might get a handle on what to do with these three kids. I thought about all the things that make me tick - what I like, don't like, what turns me on, keeps me going, how I do things, both 'good' and 'bad', the distractions I'm addicted to, etc. I discovered that Robin -dear husband - didn't think like me... This was after a decade of marriage. Suddenly the problems in our marriage made sense. I fully expected that his brain was wired the same way as mine and couldn't understand why he couldn't analyse literature, or predict what people were going to do next, or do three things at once and still have a conversation with me! He suddenly realised why the kids stopped paying attention when he took on the role of teacher and preached his knowledge at them, expecting them to instantly learn... :-)

Without knowing that Howard Gardiner, Thomas Armstrong or Alan Thomas existed, I worked out that if I treated my children as PEOPLE, rather than children, and thought of us all as LEARNERS, then homeschooling became a lot easier. It had to do with respect, rather than doing or knowing anything in particular. By watching how my very different three learners learned, and by observing how *I* learned, it became apparent that we were all using very similar techniques, regardless of age. From there I noticed that I had definite preferences for particular methods. I like to read and think. I need to write. I have to make meaning that is personal. I don't retail details. I'm a big picture person. I test hypothesises. Learning styles - the things the above guys write about - is about preferences. Underneath the preferences we all learn in much the same way. As we grow we hone our preferences - usually at the expense of an all-round holistic education. Me, I gave up my musical ability to focus on my passion for writing stories instead of lyrics to songs. Every so often a few lines of a song will burst from me, original words and tune, and I wonder if, had I lived differently as tot, might I have become a Kylie Minogue? The 'left-brained' scientist and writer dominated and I'm happy.

Below is how I learn, and it's how I see most people, including my children learn. I accomodated my children's learning preferences/styles, once I recognised that they weren't little duplicates of me, where I could, and I probably could have done a much better job. It's about providing the most suitable resources and opportunities, but also about keeping education holistically balanced and continuously providing opportunity to exercise the whole body, mind and spirit, not just what we're naturally talented at or interested in... Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences - http://www.pz.harvard.edu/PIs/HG.htmis - are great way to get a handle on understanding the whole person. There is more great information at www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm.

How I learn:

First I fully believe that "I live, therefore I learn!" I can't avoid learning - it's as natural as breathing (John Holt). As an asthmatic I know that, just as breathing can be laboured and hard work, so can learning...

When I look at how I learn best I can see the following processes happening:

I become immersed in whatever it is that I am interested in learning. I find out as much as I can about my task or interest - it becomes almost obsessive, until my appetite for information or quest for skills has abated. I become totally focussed and involved. It doesn't matter if I am learning to tie a shoe lace or rebuild a combustion engine, the concentration that follows my intense interest drives the learning process. This is immersion. This is natural learning.

I recognise that as an individual I would learn very little on my own and left to my own devices. Humans are social creatures - we learn by watching and by listening to others. Sometimes this is called imitation, or another, less favoured word is copying. But more importantly I observe the demonstrations that take place everyday of those skills and actions I need or want to emulate. The higher my interest or passion the closer I observe and learn. If I wanted to learn to play piano I would seek out the company of other pianists and watch, listen and learn, copy their playing techniques, ask them to demonstrate their skill for me. Observation and demonstration are key aspects to natural learning.

But learning doesn't flow from simply observing others demonstrating skills, or listening to the knowledge and wisdom of others. Learning involves engagement, actively doing whatever it is I need to do in order to learn. The best learning occurs when my interest is focussed and I am using my whole body. I am an active learner. A person that 'does' as well as 'think'. I actively construct my experiences, in a social context.

No one learns in a social vacuum. Whether the expectation to learn and succeed comes from within ourselves or from others this expectation is a necessary aspect of learning. A high level of expectation of success is a prerequisite to success. Natural learners trust in the innate ability of children and adults to learn. This trust is grounded on a firm foundation of acute observation of past experience. Most importantly, as a learner, I feel supported by this trust and faith in my ability to be a successful learner by important people in my life.

I understand the responsibility for learning rests completely with me, the learner. To engage in meaningful and successful learning I may engage the services of a teacher, but the teacher can't coerce or force me to learn if I am not interested or motivated to learn at that particular moment. I can remember many times learning 'parrot fashion' or memorising lessons in school that had no meaning for me. I scarcely remember the content of those lessons at all, and realise that much of what I learned at school was because I had to, rather than wanted to. I rarely understood why I needed to learn at all everything put before me, and most of it has either left me completely or has never been of any practical use in my adult life.

When I think back to my most successful learning experiences as a child I can see that I was fully engaged, interested and passionate. I now recognise that these were also the times that I carried the responsibility for my own learning, times I was allowed to be fully responsible for the learning occurring.

Of course, it is important to use and practice new learning or it quickly fades. This isn't the same as rote memorising or doing pages and pages of drill exercises... for the natural learner using the new skill or knowledge in a meaningful context a couple of times is all that is required to firmly cement it into the realms of experience, ready to be recalled and used at any time in the future. We tend to forget those things that are not of use, or interest or learned without full engagement of our minds and bodies.

As a learner I often make mistakes - make guesses, approximations, have a go, try things out. This is another essential aspect of the learning process. Everyone makes approximations in the learning process - there is nothing inherently wrong with it. Some people value the ability to make approximations highly, seeing it as creative or lateral thinking! Viewing 'mistakes' as positive learning experiences opens up many doors, inviting learners on journeys of discovery... The wisest piece of advice on learning that I've ever heard was to value the process of asking questions over that of discovering answers. The question is the key to discovery, and the question can never be wrong!

All of us need feedback, some kind of response to our learning journeys. I know I do. Natural learners don't thrive on reward or punishment - stickers, certificates or detention - no one does. Natural learners thrive on meaningful and positive feedback. Critical evaluation needs to be continuous, reflective, constructive, positive and supportive.

Learning is a natural phenomenon. It is like breathing. When it stops, you're dead! It occurs in the home learning environment regardless of educational philosophy and methodologies adopted. Taking advantage of this type of learning offers a superior education seldom found in educational institutions.

love, light and peace
Beverley
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au
http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com

Is Homeschooling Political?

It's inevitable that homeschooling is going to be a huge political issue for many families over the coming twelve months as they seek clarification and 'a fair go' over the 2005 parenting payment Budget decisions. But what about the rest of us? Should we care? Should we spend precious hours discussing complex issues, calling politicians and bureaucrats, and worrying about new threats to our homeschooling freedoms?

Most of us just want to be left in peace to get on with educating our children: to watch them grow and share with them the thrill of discovery that learning brings each day. The last thing we want to be bothered with is jumping through hoops to satisfy others that our children are being cared for appropriately.

Reform of government regulations and state laws hover continuously on the horizon. The homeschooling community has always been divided about consultation with legislation review process - division fed by suspicion and ignorance. Regulation of home education has a major impact on the daily lives of homeschooling families. Without staying vigilant it's possible that one day homeschooling children may have to take standardised tests, which will mean studying a standardised or prescribed curriculum in order to do well on the tests. Families seeking an alternative education would find this unbearable. The result would be more families homeschooling 'underground' with the consequent lack of access to excellent educational resources available to every other student in the country.

We opted for home education because schools have let us down - they are not delivering what they promise to ALL students. Most of us don't want to replicate the mistakes made in the education system - we want to carve out a bold, brave new education system that is responsive to our children's individual learning needs, and to our personal, family and cultural heritage. To preserve this ability to educate our children at home in the way that we, as parents, see fit, then homeschooling, necessarily becomes political.

From time to time, the media drums up some interest in homeschooling and this creates debate. about the merits, and about the character of those that choose to drop out school-based education. Although less than 2% of children homeschool, home education is seen as a threat to public schooling. The rivalry between public and private education has a new facet - and the reaction by ardent public school supporters is as vitrolic as it has ever been. Despite the fact that home education substantially reduces the cost of education for the government and taxpayers, compared to private school education, public school advocates use the reduction in funding as a major objection to homeschooling. And these advocates have powerful political allies with considerable historical clout in the parents organisations and teacher unions. These people see home education as a challenge to public schools.

Many of the philosophies underpinning home education challenge the prevalent ideas of education and learning in society. By doing the job better than schools, home educators challenge the underlying assumptions of education (see Challenging Assumptions in Education, by Wendy Preirsnitz). As our children graduate and move into the adult world of work it will become even more apparent that home education is not only viable, but highly successful. Homeschooling graduates are already sought by employers and university selection boards in the USA as desirable.

Homeschoolers are up against some strong, but erroneous, beliefs. A common objection, loudly voiced by the school sector, is that in the absense of the 'melting pot' socialisation process of school, children will become elitist adults, living in secluded enclaves that somehow present a threat to the whole of society. This 'cult' view of home education is unfounded, yet it flourishes. People fear the unknown. People fear minorities - and home education represents a minority movement in Australia. Homeschoolers are not seen as harmless, or a fad that will fade, or a temparory reaction to local problems. And indeed, we are not these things. Our consumeristic dollar will soon begin to bite and as the commercial world of curriculum suppliers wakes up to potential market and takes up our cause as their own (in order to exploit us) our foes will work even harder to dissuade us from our path.

As a minority we're disadvantaged in a democracy, and like other minority causes, we need a strong, and loud lobby to be heard and understood. It's easy to sit back and let others take up the fight for a fair go - for our children - but ultimately, eventually, the fight will be brought to each and every homeschooling family.We mustn't let our busy lifestyles or political apathy distract us from being vigilant.

In the US, according to Larry and Susan Kaseman, "as soon as there were enough homeschoolers to be noticed, the educational establishment devised all kinds of anti-homeschooling schemes: Outlaw it (which never happened). Require homeschoolers to take state-mandated tests or submit their curriculums for review and approval or do whatever it takes to make them like public schools. Entice them to participate in public school programs, take classes, enroll in virtual charter schools."

The Kaseman's warn that:
"The pressure to increase state regulation of homeschooling, to keep it under control and make it more like conventional schooling and less of a threat means that actions of individual homeschoolers affect the whole homeschooling community, another reason homeschooling is political. Actions of individuals are magnified. If a family decides to eat only organic food and tells the manager of their local grocery store, other families will not be told to do the same. But if a homeschooler gives a school official more information than is required by statute this precedent will increase pressure on other homeschoolers to do the same."

Despite this bleak outlook there are some things we can ALL do to make the political life of home education much easier for all of us...

1. Understand your repsonsibilities according to your state law. Comply exactly and no more - or protest appropriately. Don't rely on others - seek the information you need for yourself. That way you will be sure that the information is up-to-date and relevant. The Kaseman's remind us that "often public officials are uninformed or misinformed about the specifics of the laws. It is our responsibility to know what laws say and to question and educate officials when necessary." Vanessa Whittaker's experience in South Australia is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when accurate information is acquired and acted upon.

2. Be wary of accepting funding and 'benefits' from government or educational instititutions or commercial enterprises - check the small print carefully for compulsory obligation. You may inadvertantly give away more than you gain! We can fight for access to services and opportunities funded by taxpayers without giving up the freedom to educate our children to the best of our abilities and needs. We should never have to compromise our educational standards to gain access to that which other students enjoy.

3. We need to carefully consider any long term effects of any action we take or iniate. This may mean that we read about others' experiences, especially fellow home educators in the USA and UK, who trod this weary path many years before us. Often the best intentioned actions backfire. Read books on home education, bookmark blogs and websites and visit them often. Keep up with recent research on home education outcomes. Stay informed!

4. Don't sacrifice the all important job of educating our children to play a leading role in the battle for equitable home education provision; find a niche that suits your interests and energy levels and play 'nicely' with other home educators. Value the contributions and efforts of others, even if you disagree with the direction or action - it will take everything we have to offer to combat the push to regulate us out of existence. Our strength lies primarily in our diversity. It's something governements and bureaucracies have difficulty dealing with. We rejected the 'one-size-fits-all' model of life when we turned out backs on school and chose to champion individual and autonomous learning for our children.

5. We need to work, in our own individual ways, to gain acceptance and support from the general public. This may be all the political activity you do - encouraging your relatives and neighbours that homeschooling is a successful and viable alternative to school based education. Or it may be the start of building supportive homeschooling communities. It's up to you. The Kasemans point out that "positive public opinion grows when homeschoolers write polite, articulate letters to the editor; are featured in media stories about the strengths of homeschooling; are active in their communities, etc". This is something we can all do at some time; it can even be part of our homeschooling learning programs.

We need to avoid public opinion swinging against us, as in when homeschooling is seen a fringe movement, or as something "too hard" forthe everyday person to do without help. As a fledgling movement we've done exceptionally well in a very short time. We need to build on our successes - learn from them - and encourage schools to learn from them as well. We have something positive to offer the world of education. Ours in an alternative that works, and deserves encouragement, not restriction.

Your feedback on this topic is most welcome.

cheers
Beverley
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au
http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com

Do We Really Need School - New Documentary Film based on Gatto's Best Selling Book

In her Universal Preschool Blog, Diane Flynn Keith, author of CARSCHOOLING, urges us to support a new documentary on education based on John Taylor Gatto's book The Underground History of American Education.

A documentary that will hopefully help to reform education across the globe as it answers the question John first posed in his award winning book DUMBING US DOWN: do we really need school?

"Do we really need school? I don't mean education, just forced schooling: six classes a day, five days a week, nine months a year, for twelve years. Is this deadly routine really necessary? And if so, for what?

Don't hide behind reading, writing, and arithmetic as a rationale, because 2 million happy homeschoolers have surely put that banal justification to rest. Even if they hadn't, a considerable number of well-known Americans never went through the twelve-year wringer our kids currently go through, and they turned out all right.

George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln? Someone taught them, to be sure, but they were not products of a school system, and not one of them was ever "graduated" from a secondary school. Throughout most of American history, kids generally didn't go to high school, yet the unschooled rose to be admirals, like Farragut; inventors, like Edison; captains of industry like Carnegie and Rockefeller; writers, like Melville and Twain and Conrad; and even scholars, like Margaret Mead. In fact, until pretty recently people who reached the age of thirteen weren't looked upon as children at all. Ariel Durant, who co-wrote an enormous, and very good, multivolume history of the world with her husband, Will, was happily married at fifteen, and who could reasonably claim that Ariel Durant was an uneducated person? Unschooled, perhaps, but not uneducated.

We have been taught (that is, schooled) in this country to think of "success" as synonymous with, or at least dependent upon, "schooling," but historically that isn't true in either an intellectual or a financial sense. And plenty of people throughout the world today find a way to educate themselves without resorting to a system of compulsory secondary schools that all too often resemble prisons.

Why, then, do Americans confuse education with just such a system? What exactly is the purpose of our public schools?"

Diane reveals that Gatto has his entire book available to read for FREE online. A product of nine years of research and a half-million dollar investment, this book pulls back the curtain to reveal the actual purpose for which mass forced schooling was conceived and identifies the problems with modern schooling and what can be done to fix it.

Join FREE Book Discussion - to participate simply join the FREE EduTalk e-list at Yahoo groups.

According to Diane you can donate to the production of a new Documentary Film Series based on the book which will be a hard-hitting and compelling exploration of American compulsory schooling. It's important for Australian homeschoolers to pay attention to what's happening elsewhere in the world, especially the United States, as this is where the educational authorities look for guidance when reforming Australian schools and curriculum... Will we blindly follow where US schools lead and make the same mistakes, leading to devastating consequences for so many young people?

The documentary, Diane, a verteran homeschooler herself, says will "examine the troubling anomalies of our current system" and "penetrate the untold history of our schools" as well as "survey the many extraordinary alternatives available to students, parents and teachers."She urges us to help us make this film a reality. Learn more about it by visiting: http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/fourthpurpose/gatto.htm.

cheers
Beverley
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au
http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com

How To Deal with Registration and Bullying tactics by School Principals and Education Authorities

by Beverley Paine and Vanessa Whittaker

If anyone is ever in any doubt about the legal status of home education in their state and can't be sure from the information provided by homeschooling organisations or friends, then the best thing to do - the most reassuring - is to get a legal opinion - a letter from a lawyer clarifying your legal rights and responsibilities. Don't think of it as a hassle - think of it as an educational process!

Over the years I've seen many families in the unfortunate situation of being continuously harrassed and bullied by schools and over-zealous education authorities, and those that have finally sought legal advice and representation find that the presence of a lawyer or letter is often enough to make the bullies back down.

In South Australia in the past it seemed customary for the authorities, when they weren't 'happy' with an application for exemption, to refer the case to Family and Youth Services, and they'd look for neglect or abuse... usually absent of course! FAYS would hand the case back to the education department and often a compromise would be hatched. All too often the harrassment was enough to convince the family that they couldn't homeschool and send the kids back to school, or the family starts thinking about moving interstate (and every where you go is the same old story, regardless of what the law actually says, which is why I definitely DON'T recommend this as an option)

There are thousands of homeschoolers in all states who aren't 'registered' or 'exempted' or 'approved' and the authorities know it. The best way to handle the situation is to KNOW your legal rights and responsibilities - read the relevent Acts and regulations - and then weather their bluffs or get legal help straight off.

Check my website http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com/approval.html for more info.

The best way to prepare for home education - with or without approval - is to write your own curriculum or learning plan, start recording your children's educational progress, and keep a social 'diary' or scrapbook. To be on the absolute safe side, if your documentation is ever needed to prove you are educating your children adequately in a court of law (really rare and usually only in custody cases) remember to DATE your entries and samples of your children's work. Don't give original documents away - always use photocopies in your correspondence. And keep records of your conversations and letters with the education authorities. This may sound a little heavy handed or worrisome, but it's the only really effective way of building your confidence as a home educator when dealing with people who think they have more authority over your children than you do. Act like a professional educator (because you are!) and they will feel less inclined to treat you as just another parent in the classroom.

fromVanessa…

I have read Beverley's response about this and I agree with everything that she said.
I am in SA and when we began homeschooling some one from the Education Department used the mandatory reporting legislation to make allegations of abuse against myself in regards to our son (but not our daughter, who we also began homeschooling at the same time).

We sought legal advice from our lawyer and also from the lawyer at Light Education Ministries, who put us in touch with a civil liberties lawyer. This person gave us excellent advice and support and was prepared to come to court for us if necessary.

Some things we were told to do were so that if we were made to appear in court we would have covered all our legal requirements extremely well, and the judge would usually say that his time was being wasted and toss it out.

1. Keep a separate home school diary for all planned home school social outings. Judges want to know you are not isolating your children. If you have to present a family diary you are giving them more information than they can legally access and they could then use any of that information against you.

2. Keep a record of all the days you do school work. I have an A3 sized planner in my folder. I use a highlighter pen to record every day we do school work even if we go on an outing even if it is on a Saturday or Sunday. If I may use it later as a reference, it is school related and countable. I write "school day" over the highlighter colour. This was something the civil liberties lawyer said was of the highest value.

3. I do keep a record of work we actually do, in retrospect. It is more accurate.

4. I keep a record of my planning for each topic or area on a pro-forma I made up that suits me.

5. Date everything.... the work the children do, my planning, letters sent and received..... we use a date stamp.

6. No communication by phone. Everything in writing and when you send them something let them know you have kept a hard copy yourself and if you are seeking assistance of a politician or anyone else indicate on the bottom where you are sending other copies. The power base shifts when they know you have other people supporting you! They will not put in a letter anything that is not enforceable by law. So if the intimidation is by phone, stop talking and politely ask them to put it in writing so that you can get your own private legal opinion. And do get that opinion and follow the lawyer's advice! It lets them know you have backup as often they will try to intimidate women and it helps you feel that you have support and options.

7. Send any communication by registered post so they have to sign for it and you will be notified that the addressee has received it and on what day. Keep that slip you get back in case you need to prove you sent something. This prevents them from saying that you haven't given them this or that and "accidentally on purpose" loosing something you have sent and trying to lay responsibility on you. It is empowering to be able to say “That's strange, I have this registered post slip that says you signed for it on this date".

8. We now have an advocate who attends any meetings who is an uninvolved third party that takes notes as an independent record. This prevents "he said, she said" which lacks proof.

9. I am married and the lawyer advised that my husband should be present at every meeting, and it has been amazing how much differently they speak and act when he is present. It can be a pain and costs us if he needs to refuse a job/shift to be there but it has been important. If you are not married, a friend or relative attending with you to act as support for you may help your comfort and confidence levels.

10. All meetings should be out of your home. We have them at the Education Department's meeting room. In extreme cases if they turn up on your doorstep, politely refuse entry. If a police officer is present and has a warrant, the police officer only can enter to act according to the warrant. But you are able to telephone your lawyer asking him/her to give you advice or come to ensure your rights are protected.

By following this we were able to prove the allegations were without evidence, gain the first exemption and we have just had our first review and we were told our summary and presentation was extremely professional and complete. It has made me so much more confident to have guidelines to follow that eliminates their power to cause me extra stress. I am also so much more comfortable knowing my legal rights and responsibilities. Also they are not the department’s supposed guidelines but the legal ones which would assist me in a court of law, therefore my motivation is different.

From my understanding of the law, Principals play no part in an application/exemption to home school, therefore their opinion/actions have no relevance, it is only intimidation factor. Politely refuse to participate. Ask the Principal to put his/her issues in writing and just file it. If threats of action are made, seek legal advice quickly. Don't think it will just go away. You could ask your lawyer to write a letter demanding that the Principal stop harassing you and he should list the laws that give you the right to homeschool.

Light Education Ministries, based in Canberra, have a booklet or booklets that list the appropriate laws of each state. It costs a small amount but you may find it useful to have a copy of what impacts you. It was a boost to my confidence to know what the law said and to have it in a hard copy to re-enforce that in meetings or in responding to issues with the department.

If you have evidence that proves that your children are doing work and you are able to show that with records of actual work completed, you are able to easily prove your children are not truant from school as they are being schooled at home and therefore the truancy law is nor relevant either. It is confusing for the poor things, but eventually they understand that there are laws to protect our decision to home educate our children.

cheers
Beverley
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au
http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com

copyright May 2005

What Do YOU Want from a Home Ed Website?

Every so often I'm part of a group talking about how to cater to the information needs of our growing homeschooling community, and it seems that a central web repository of information is the first essential step. Some Australian states have home education organisations that maintain excellent websites. Some individually owned sites maintain information and links. Keeping all this up-to-date and relevant is quite a task.

Ann's article talks about what homeschoolers want to see from a local information service. The question I'd like to ask is:

"Do homeschoolers prefer LOCAL information provided locally; or information relevant to their STATE only; or would they prefer to use a NATIONAL information service?"

The article below, written by Ann Zeise can be found at http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/articles/062899.htm and I thought it is a good introduction to get a discussion going on the topic of support groups.

Local Site Wish List

"Who should read this?

• Local & Regional Support Group Webmasters;
• Library site developers making homeschool resource pages;
• Local, Community or City site developers making homeschool support pages;
• Local parenting resources e-zine publishers.

After the usual homeschooling information, what homeschoolers would really like to see are pages with links to your unique regional resources for families. If you don't know much about homeschooling, link to this site, your state page, and then provide local resources. May I suggest these links could include but not necessarily be limited to:

• Art resources (from supplies to lessons)
• Banks with free children's accounts
• Bookstores (including used books)
• Businesses and industries that give tours (Contact information)
• Children's theater and musical groups
• Drivers ed resources & teen driving regulations
• Educator Discount retailers who include homeschool teachers
• Genealogy collections available locally
• Historic sites, reenactments, societies
• Kid-friendly gyms, athletic clubs, and community athletic teams
• Libraries (and how to access online)
• Music schools, piano teachers
• Museums (especially kid-friendly, hands-on places. Info about classes.)
• Natural areas, especially those that have nature guides
• Publications that list family activities
• Science supply outlets (low priced) and classes
• Trails (within the city or out; bike paths)
• Tutoring and mentoring services (especially math and reading)
• TV stations with community college classes or similar programming
• Volunteer opportunities for young people
• Youth organizations (scouts, 4-H, Campfire, etc.)

I cannot hope to be an "expert" on such a wealth of materials that are already in your grasp. Please! Let us partner in what we each can do best. Link to the pages on my site that give your audience what they need. Email me and let me know you have begun a regional resource section on your site, and I'll most likely link it in my "Regional and Worldwide" resources page most relevant to your area."

I welcome your comments... I'm forever 'tweaking' my websites with the aim of offering homeschoolers what they need in order to make homeschooling a breeze. It's good to get feedback. Home education is coming of age in Australia - what do you think we need to do to make it more accessible for interested families?

cheers
Beverley
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au
http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com

Parenting - A Career Choice or the Only Choice...

As a woman, I see parenting as a career choice. It's the career I chose before I turned 20. I think that had I been well enough I may have worked part time, and shared the parenting workload with Robin, but we tried that out when Roger (now 22) was a toddler and my health deteriorated - I don't survive sustained social settings very well!

We opted for a low income lifestyle that enabled shared parenting duties, rather than dividing them into traditional male/female roles. For the most part we were successful, but gender was definitely against us! And we're both pretty traditional, conservative folk so I ended up helping him build the house while he helped me cook the dinners...

The low income lifestyle was great when the children were young. Living in a shed was an adventure... The kids didn't eat much... Excursions into the garden were educationally satisfying... We didn't need a car that actually worked all the time... Living cheaply was an adventure and I'd recommend it - but only for what it teaches us in how to live simply to simply live. The stress and hassles and worry come time to pay the big bills - council rates, etc - that I could have done without!

Pulling together and sharing the parenting and educating workload was the best we could offer our children. This also meant getting involved in alternative school education, preschool and playgroup. Robin is a much better father for his experiences and I'm an enlightened mother (that is, I learned that dads can be exceptionally capapble mums in all but a few areas!)

When I was a teenager I thought long and hard about how to change the world, because I was deeply disturbed by all the garbage going on. I figured, at the age of 13, that education was the answer, and back then I knew that schools had failed, but didn't know why. I thought that perhaps we needed schools to teach the parents how to parent, because it seemed to me that parents weren't parenting properly. I had a lot to learn about parenting! But who would teach the parents - only a parent knows how to parent and most of them were making a mess of things...

So I figured that the only way to change the world was to educate the children, and the only way to do that was on the job training. We learn as we do, and the more we do, the more WE'RE ALLOWED TO FAIL, the better we get at what we're doing. No one likes falling on their faces over and over again. If they are picked up continuously by well meaning others they don't learn to support themselves. If they aren't allowed to trek the path unaided in the first place they haven't got a chance. I figured that the best way to change the world was to WALK BESIDE people as they seek to learn the lessons they need to...

I'm still learning how to walk beside people, without giving in to the urge to assist them before they've asked, with clarity, for help. And that's the job of parenting.

I truly believe there is only one job - career - for humans on this planet. And that is parenting. It's high time we all started parenting - our kids, your kids, each other.

love, light and peace
Beverley
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au

Tips for 'Registering' as a Homeschooling Family with Australian Educational Authorities

Home education is legal in Australia. However, laws and regulations differ from state to state. You will need to obtain a copy of the relevant Act for your state, and find out about local conditions and regulations or policies that may apply. Homeschooling networks can help you with legal information, but check for yourself - information may not be accurate or up-to-date. The information given on this page is written by someone without legal qualifications and is a general guide only to what is usually required of home educators and may not be applicable in your situation. Always seek qualified legal advice if in any doubt as to your legal position.

The Acts may be found at the General Index for all Australian legislation http://www.austlii.edu.au/databases.html

On http://sahome-ed.beverleypaine.com/approval.html you'll find detailed information that I've prepared for homeschoolers here in South Australia, which together with http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com/legal.html form the basis of my reply to questions of this type.

Here is the information I have in my Homeschool Today! Getting Started with Homeschooling free newsletter which I send out to families:

Homeschooling is legal; however, the law and regulations differ from state to state. You need to obtain copies of the relevant sections of the Education Act in your State and to inquire about conditions and regulations from the appropriate authorities. Don't rely solely on information from well meaning others - find out for yourself the "letter of the law". Always seek legal advice if in any doubt as to your legal position.

Many homeschoolers question the interpretation, validity and legal status of policies and regulations regarding homeschooling given by authorities. Even within states regional requirements may vary in their their application and interpretation of the law or regulations. Local help and advice, reflecting recent experience, can be an invaluable aid. The Home Education Resource and Legal Information Network has been set up to help homeschoolers find information.

Where regulation of homeschooling exists the process generally involves requiring the parents to prepare a program of learning for the children, which is then assessed by an officer of the authority, a process usually including at least one interview, plus regular review. The review process varies and can be annual, every two years, or negotiated.

When considering contacting the educational authorities and applying to homeschool it is important to think seriously about what your intentions and responsibilities are - both to yourself, your children and to society.

Although many home educators feel the regulations or policies relating to home education to be fair and adequate, others argue they have no basis in law, infringe on basic human and parenting rights, are discriminatory and inequitable.

Thinking carefully and becoming clear in your own mind about your role and the role of the authority will offer you the most confidence in whatever path you follow.

At all times read all paper work very carefully, and never sign anything you are not entirely happy with. Put things in your own writing, using your own words, rather than simply signing forms presented to you. Be careful not to sign away any rights to resources, assistance or help for your children as homeschooling students. Although they may not require these things now keep options open for the future.

Keep records of any communication with authority officials, including tape recordings or transcripts of telephone conversations. This is simply professional and responsible behaviour and offers you confidence in further dealings.

Insist of written clarification of telephone calls and ask for letters outlining what will be discussed and dealt with during interviews, and what is required of you. Be assertive. It is your right, especially if you are inviting strangers into your home.

Arrange for interviews on neutral territory if you wish. Keep records until the child is past compulsory schooling age.

Information sought by educational authorities in the process of 'approving' homeschools varies considerably. The emphasis should be on the quality of the proposed learning program, and this includes the learning environment. A comprehensive guide to establishing learning programs and environments can be found in the Australian homeschooling manual "Getting Started with Homeschooling - Practical Considerations".

In general, most authorities require a broad outline of a proposed program of work for each child, which should includes areas of study, essential skills and understandings, resources to be used and description of the teaching methods. This is a summary only, not a detailed curriculum guide, and should be brief and concise.

Offering a more detailed outline of a sample day often reassures officers assessing the learning program, as do exhibiting samples of recent learning activities. Children do not have to be subjected to interviews by the officer if you don't wish - be firm and assertive, and clear about the assessment of the learning program, rather than the children's current educational abilities and understandings. As the educator it is your responsibility to monitor the progress of your child - not their’s.

You will also be required to demonstrate that educational progress is being monitored, evaluated and assessed. This generally requires some degree of record keeping. Never give away original documents or children's work: use photocopies if necessary.

In most cases a simple annual report prepared by you should suffice. When working through the review simply write brief summaries of what the children have done during the year, and then a brief outline of the next year's program. If you are feeling less than confident get help - many experienced homeschoolers are happy to help, or be present at your interview as objective observers.

Socialisation and adequate provision for contact with peers and other adults, and involvement in cultural and sporting activities is considered important. Usually familes retain friends from school and other activities, plus gain homeschooling friends, through support groups, excursions and camps. Be sure to inform the authorities you are in contact with a local or state based homeschooling group for support and social opportunities.

In Australia the recommended areas of study are English; Languages other than English; Mathematics; Society and Environment Studies; Health, Physical and Personal Development; Science; The Arts; and Technology and Enterprise. You can offer a range of other subjects or categories as you see fit. The aim is to offer a broad and balanced curriculum over time.

Devising your own programs to suit your individual children is recognised and celebrated as accepted homeschooling practice throughout Australia. ™

love, light and peace
Beverley
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au

How Do You View Your World?

by Grace Chapman

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Grace is a home educating mother of three in far north Queensland. Until recently, Grace was the editor and producer of Stepping Stones For Home Educators. Her articles have appeared in magazines such as Byronchild Magazine and Education Choices.

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Perspective. How do you see your world most of the time? Is it full of burdens or challenges? Do you see challenges/difficulties as opportunities for growth? Growth of what? The heart—not the physical heart but the storehouse of love, peace and joy. Do you see the child who is behaving radically different or difficult as a burden, or as an opportunity for you to stretch your way of being?

What an eventful three months! It seems disasters, crises and challenges are falling thick and fast. Generally speaking from what I have seen, many are having the ‘rug pulled out from under their feet’ - providing the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. I send my love to all of you—especially those who are focusing their efforts on recovering and rebuilding their lives following any disaster/crisis/challenge.

We have not escaped the stormy seas —Amongst other things, I miscarried at three months, Nick’s job almost disappeared and it seemed that no one wanted to install solar power systems but I say that we’ve ridden the stormy seas and are now on calmer waters. I am grateful to the many friends who offered me kind words of comfort and understanding when they learned of the miscarriage. I didn’t think I would sink as low as I did - but there’s no accounting for the power of hormones, feelings, and ‘lost’ dreams. I am eternally grateful to my Mother and Father who rearranged their lives to give me the time and space I needed to recover mentally, physically and emotionally. Just thinking about the love and compassion that I received ~ and know that people have for each other ~ overwhelms and excites me!

I speak with many people who are worried that they might not be doing the best thing for their children. I know that feeling well. I lived with it for the first few years of being home based learners, even though I ‘knew’ I had made the best choice for our family. It was the choice that reflected our values but once the decision was made there was still an underlying sense of doubt. Not anymore though. If there is one thing I could give to families just starting out as home based learners, it would be to encourage you to know what you value and make the choices that reflect those values. That goes for people who enrol in schools too, as well as for families who have been home based learners for a while. Save yourself the sleeplessness and agony of being unsure. Whatever you choose to do, do it with joyfulness. Joy comes from doing what we know is right. When we are joyous, then hurts don’t hurt so much and happy times last longer. Joy helps you to do your best and doing your best leads you to feeling joyous!

Joyously. Passionately. Without reservations. That’s how we are meant to live our lives so once you’ve made a decision on you’re approach to home based learning, do it without reservation. That doesn’t mean you won’t see any trains coming your way nor will you do it with any lesser degree of excellence. Change your approach when you see the need to do so. If lots of ‘distractions’ are coming your way, then embrace them without worry about what ‘schooling’ the kids are missing out on. Life, what happens in your family, is your child’s greatest education. The distractions could be an opportunity for you to find out what you value. Prioritise. Choose to do what best reflects your values—and don’t look back! We’ve got all the time we need and I believe that if we live our lives joyously, without holding on to worry or guilt to drain our energy, then we really will do all the things that are important to us. And we will see more of the golden opportunities that always surround us.

A friend pointed out that now is a good time for family discussions on consumerism, advertising etc. Why now? Well the Harry Potter movie has been released, right on Christmas time and look at the paraphernalia that is on sale. It’s a prime example showing how advertising and consumerism go hand in hand. Now, as at Easter, is also timely for respectfully discussing differences in religious practices.

At this time of year, when the accent is on the spirit of unity, goodwill, generosity, giving and receiving, I wish you Joy, Peace and Well-being.

In appreciation of the individuals who have contributed to the informative and inspiring content of this and every other issue of “Stepping Stones” (SSHED), I leave you with this powerful quote from Cardinal Henry Newman, cited in Inviting the Mystic, Supporting the Prophet. p7

© Grace Chapman

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Living With Depression

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Grace is a home educating mother of three in far north Queensland. Until recently, Grace was the editor and producer of Stepping Stones For Home Educators. Her articles have appeared in magazines such as Byronchild Magazine and Education Choices.

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The most revolutionary act one can commit in this world is to be happy.
Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams

The past three months have certainly seen many fast moving events changing many people’s lives in different ways. I figure it’s part of the evolution of our way of life on this planet and imagine that life as we know it is going to become more shaky as time moves on. In relation to education in particular, I guess conditions in institutions, ie. schools will become more extreme. Although this will be uncomfortable for many, it will make it easier to implement the very necessary changes to the way we educate our children en masse. My daily prayer is that each of us will have the faith to follow our hearts with clarity and trust.

My own time has been spent being very inward as I miscarried early in September, at three months, then eight weeks later I urgently needed a curette which I trust has placed me on the path of recovery.

Emotionally, the miscarriage led me to feel many energy draining emotions again—sense of loss, sense of failure, confusion, fear, resentment, bitterness and disheartened. My heart felt too flat to want to look after anyone, including myself. To all the ladies I know who are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their babies … please don’t think you can’t share your excitement with me. Now more than ever, I love to hear other women’s expressions of how they are feeling.

In late September we explored the north west of Queensland. Lawn Hill National Park was our ultimate destination. We were only there for 24 hours when we were asked to leave because a bushfire was raging down the gorge! There hadn’t been a fire of such a size for 2 years! We were there long enough to explore the gorge by canoe for a few hours one morning. We also managed to walk through the forest. Now that was a beautiful experience. I’ve never walked through such a forest before. The trees are so old and so different from the tropical rainforests that I’m used to. The feeling of being in that forest touched my heart very deeply.

The Gregory River is a wonderful haven to camp alongside. It is such a contrast to the surrounding hot, dry country. The five of us enjoyed our selves very much in different ways—fishing and putting the fish back into the water, canoeing, sketching, making music, reading, eating and chatting with the locals and (for me, wallowing in long bouts of silence).

Our time away from home provided the opportunity for me to explore my strong, dark feelings and I allowed them to dominate my actions. What a brave family I have! They weren’t comfortable with the way I was behaving yet all I could see reflected in their eyes was their Love for me.

By the time we arrived back home I felt a strong sense of appreciation—for our cool, wet environment [how wonderful to feel soft green grass beneath my feet] - for familiar friends—for family. I still wasn’t at my optimum level of good health but I was ambling along, doing what ‘had’ to be done. Routines were established—daily reading together (mainly me reading out loud) chores, daily listening to or making music. I set to work with collating Stepping Stones, tending to the vegie garden, running the house, helping in the office (Our business is designing and installing alternative power systems.), doing an occasional day as relief teacher and being with the children. Any form of guided language or math study with the children was nonexistent. They weren’t missing it and I was too flat to push it. Therein lies the beauty of home based learning. While our family was experiencing many unexpected challenges [financially, physically and emotionally], the individual needs— emotionally, physically and mentally—were still being met. The children’s lessons were first hand experience with life—problem solving where a great deal of emotion was involved. They heard Dad and I sharing our fears, they heard and felt my feelings of depression—and they saw us acting not as victims but as people who take responsibility for shaping their lives.

It was an opportunity for me to review some of my beliefs. (I was even wondering… What is a value? Sometimes I think I’d just rather be a ti-tree! They grow, they have a beautiful scent and shape, they flower, provide shade and shelter… a tree just knows how to be!) Here are some of my beliefs about life...

• I am responsible for shaping my life. Life is beautiful. Life is simple, not always easy but it is meant to be simple.
• Look for the blessing in any situation/ make lemonade out of lemons!
• Acknowledge my feelings at all times and choose to ride with the feelings that serve me best. It’s OK to feel anger, hurt, sadness, jealousy, fear etc.
• If I don’t like the way that things are looking, then look through a different window. For each person in this world there is a unique way of looking at things. Choose the window that serves me best.
• It is possible to feel joy at any given moment. Sometimes I just have to stretch deeper inside myself to feel it. That isn’t always easy but it is simple.
• Love is my foundation.

One very special fact I have been reminded of through first hand experience is that the virtues of Kindness, Love, Gentleness and Patience, are very powerful medicine. I am eternally grateful to my parents, family and friends who helped me see and feel this in many different ways. Towards the end of my acute recovery time I read a lot of novels. (Dirran loved this period of time. Whenever he came romping onto my bed with a book, he knew I’d be happy to read it with him. It was a very close time for us.) Anyway, I couldn’t read so many novels without sharing some of the more impressive ones with you. Reading novels leads me to process so many of my thoughts, feelings and emotions. I am especially drawn to books from the young adult fiction shelves.

I wonder what Summer will bring? Cyclones? Floods? Snow? (not likely up here) Watermelon! Mangoes! Swimming in the river! Lots of smiles and compassion, love, always love...

© Grace Chapman

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Procrastination - Fear of the Unknown

by Grace Chapman

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Grace is a home educating mother of three in far north Queensland. Until recently, Grace was the editor and producer of Stepping Stones For Home Educators. Her articles have appeared in magazines such as Byronchild Magazine and Education Choices.

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Welcome to the new year. How are you going so far? Got so many new things you want to do that you are overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin? Haven’t mounted the horse yet? Or, have you dived into your new year resolutions and projects and are gasping for air because you’ve taken on so much? Only got a hold of the galloping horse’s tail? Or are you riding the horse, enjoying the rush of wind on your face? This is the time of year that can be painful for the procrastinator. If you are having difficulty making decisions that require you to do things that you don’t normally do (like whether to homeschool or not) perhaps the following quote, placed on your mirror will help you.

When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project,
all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations,
your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world.
Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.
Patanjali (c. 1st to 3rd century BC)

Or perhaps this one does more for you…

To escape criticism—do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.
E. Hubbard

Fear of the unknown is a powerful thing isn’t it? It can be paralysing. Yet it’s opposite, Love, is equally as powerful and is likely to bring about more of your preferences.

© Grace Chapman

2005 Budget Ramifications on Single Parent Homeschooling Families

How will the new federal budget will affect home-schoolers receiving Parenting Payment?

From the news reports it looks that when the youngest child in the family turns 6 the parent is obligated to seek a minimum 15 hours work a week. Without looking into it more deeply I think I could safely say this will only affect families who are receiving government assistance such as single parenting payment. If this is the case, then yes, we have something to worry about as home educators and it would be wise is we all began to lobby our politicians to plead our special case.

For some years now it seems to have been a policy of Centrelink to encourage parents who are in receipt of financial assistance from the government to seek work once their youngest reaches high school age. In one case last year a South Australian mother, whose partner is on unemployment benefits, was called into an interview and was quite apprehensive. The emphasis on the interview, however, was on the client's long term future plans for gradually moving back into the world of work - looking at education rather than getting a job right now.

I know of several single parent families dependent on Centrelink benefits for the bulk of their income (with many already employed part time) who are very worried about the ramifications of the Federal Government's 2005 bugdet.

Here is a letter Debbie Dunn published in the last Homeschool Australia newsletter. I agree with Debbie that it's important we start to do something about this now.

Hi Everyone,
I am concerned that those among us who are single parents may have our choices severely curtailed if the new initiative by the government to get single parents back into the workforce when their children become school-age comes into effect. If you see this as a step in the wrong direction, putting more stress on families already under stress, now is the time to speak out. Below is the contact details of the Senator to contact, plus you may like to contact your local federal MP. I have also included in-line the letter I have composed. Feel free to use this as a basis for your own correspondence.
Love Debbie

The Hon. Kay Patterson, Senator for Victoria
Minister for Family and Community Services
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues
Liberal Party of Australia

Parliament Contact:
Tel: (02) 6277 7560
Fax: (02) 6273 4122
Email: senator.kcpatterson@aph.gov.au

Electorate Office:
Shop 3, 10-40 Burwood Highway,
Burwood East Vic 3151

To The Hon. Kay Patterson,

Recent plans by the Government to pressure single parents of school-aged children to return to the work seems out of step with the pre-election rhetoric of the Liberal Party's "concern for families". Single families are already feeling the strain of parenting in isolation without having more demands made from Centrelink.

Many of these families do choose to work but I feel it is imperative that we as a society value the choice to be a full time parent as a worthwhile endeavour. The fallout from families under stress litters our society already. Do we really want more "latch-key kids"; more parents too exhausted to have a decent conversation with their children; more institutionalization of the family with care providers having to step into the parent's role?

The families of Australia are very diverse, each with individual needs and dynamics. How does your government propose to take into account these differences? My personal situation is a case in point. I have opted to home educate my children. Only recently have I become a single parent and now, at this time of trauma, I may be required to return to the workforce, causing even further upheaval for my children.

To home educate ones children is a legal right in Australia. I place the duty to educate my children as the highest priority in my life and feel strongly that this contribution to society is of as much value as any job I could do in the workforce. My children see me working every day... organizing outings and activities, household chores (usually shared between two adults), doing the family finance, involvement in community projects (eg. Waterwatch, Urban Forest) etc. Even in purely financial terms, the cost to the state of my children attending school is greater than paying me single parenting payment.

I would entreat that you give due consideration to all the ramifications of the proposed changes and in particular the plight of single parents who wish to exercise the right to home educate their children.

Your Sincerely, ..........................................................

yours in love, light and peace,
Beverley

Wanting to Read Difficult Books

Hi ya

Josie wrote: DS has caught the reading bug, and is now picking it us quite easily, and his confidence has grownn so much, to the point that he thinks he can read books thay are way over ambitous for him, only he still wants to give them a go, until he realises on the first page that maybe he has bitten off more than he can chew.
If I tell him that maybe I should read it, he refuses, prefering to give it a go himself. Will this end up destroying the confidence that he has gained in reading, or should I just continue to let him go, and tell him that we should read it together, so I can help with words that he does not know?

Let him do what he wants as his pace. Roger spent an hour one day looking a page I definitely knew he couldn't read when he was six. It didn't do him any harm. Just make sure Branden has access to all types of reading matter at all levels. Never underestimate what's going on a person's head. We can't begin to know what your son is doing when he's looking at a page. Even he won't know all the processes going on. If he feels compelled to have a go, let him, but let him know that often you tackle things that you're not quite ready for and sometimes you feel disappointed you can't do what you want to right now but know that simply trying is part of the journey to eventual accomplishment. Think of some examples - for me it is climbing onto the roof using a ladder and then trying to get down by myself without help - this took me years to do! My kids found it interesting as it was something that had no trouble with. Seeing other people try and 'fail' is encouraging for all of us.

John Dewey, educator and researcher wrote: "Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results." Your son has chosen this task or reading above his ability level as something to do - trust in Dewey's words. Learning will naturally result. I love the way children naturally test their emerging abilities. If left alone to experiment and test without pressure to perform to another's expectation or arbitrary schedule all will be right.

You might find my Practical Homeschooling Series booklet Learning to Love Reading ($2.50 plus postage) a useful and reassuring guide.

love, light and peace to you all,
Beverley

Top Secret! The Power of Homeschooling Camps

Robin and I are heading off to the annual Milang Homeschoolers Camp on Friday. We thoroughly enjoyed the inaugral camp last year, organised by Stephanie and her enthusiastic family. The camp was well attended, with a host of homeschoolers heading down from Adelaide for Saturday.

Few people realise the power of a homeschooling camp. We attended our first one way back in 1990, at a place called Bridgewater in Victoria. The camp was organised by the Alternative Education Resource Centre, now HEN (VIC) and I found out about it through their newsletter Otherways. Dozens of families enjoyed the week long camp. For the first time I felt that I had finally found my 'community', such was the strength of the camaradie shared at the camp.

If you've never been to a camp you've missed out! It's hard, at first, to ease into camp life, especially when some of the campers are already familiar with one another, or if the camp is held in the same place each year and draws the same families who know the place inside out. I remember feeling like an outsider, but went with the flow, accepting that, yes, I was a newbie and like newbies everywhere I needed to take a deep breath and sit and watch, feeling a little uncomfortable, listen to the conversations, venture a few words here and there and slowly, but surely, I warmed to camp life and the 'old timers' gradually drew me into all of the activities.

The children, of course, took a lot less time to integrate, make friends, and generally have a good time!

Most of the camps I've been on have been unstructured: the structure evolves as each day dawns. We've camped in tents, slept in dorms and cabins and a mixture of both. Daily activities usually include going for walks, visiting local places of interest, art and craft, singing, cooperative games, concerts, shared meals, workshops, and chatting. Lots of chatting!

Nothing beats living closely with others over a few days to get to know each other and make firm friendships. I remember my children not seeing kids from camp from one year to the next, but when they got together again it was as though only a few days had passed. For parents worried about the social outcomes of home education - get thee to a camp! You'll be reassured.

Belinda Moore writes about a camp she attended on the Homeschool Australia website:

"The company was wonderful – old friends we love to catch up with, and new friends to meet. For us, the company of like-minded homeschoolers at an annual camp is a huge boost in our confidence in the decision to home educate. And being with the older home educated children and teens is always inspiring and encouraging. They are a beaut bunch of kids!"

I'd love to hear about your homeschooling camping experiences.

cheers
Beverley
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au

Review of Legislation: Should We Become Involved?

I'm writing to ask what you think about homeschoolers getting involved with the review of the education and training legislation. I've been asked by someone if I, or my homeschooling group, would like to provide a submission to the review. I gathered from discussions on homeschool lists that not only is it a waste of time to get involved with govt reviews but that it could also work to our disadvantage.

I've always had my say whenever the govt invites me to have a say, and sometimes when they haven't. If I feel passionately about a topic I like to have input. That's the democratic way. Apathy is a dreadful thing. Too many homeschoolers bury their head in the everyday bustle of homeschooling life... and I've a lot of sympathy for them - it's the ones that don't do anything or bother to voice their views, then whinge about the outcome afterwards that I have no sympathy for.

Having said that, however, I've seen too many really great homeschoolers become so passionate about getting involved in reviews and legislative change that they end up literally losing their families - divorces, separations, not 'being there' for family members because they are campaigning on behalf of strangers! We're lucky that there are a few die-hards in homeschooling land willing to sacrifice just about anything to bring the discrimation homeschooler face every day to light. I personally don't have what it takes to do battle at that level, nor do I want to cop the cost, which seems to be the norm rather than the exception.

I am passionate about home education. I would like to see it established in legislation as the third option - private school, public school, and home education provision. To this end I've participated in letter writing campaigns, submitted personal proposals (to emphasise the point the homeschooling community is made up of many individuals as well as representative groups), attended information evenings, become involved in legislative review panels, spoken at a conference for Aus & NZ lawyers. I've participated to the degree that satisfies my need to be involved in the democratic process at this stage. I firmly believe it is my duty as a citizen of Australia to do this, and my duty as a parent to model this behaviour to my children.

I am aware that for the most part consultation is, in any arena, a cosmetic process, and that minority stakeholders are often ignored or given scant or serious attention. Minority stakeholders often present the more radical views and governments and businesses are usually seeking to satisfy the majority - that's a feature of the kind of democracy we hold dear in Australia. It ostracises and alienates minorities, although it does let them have a token say. As a person with a minority position I must do my level best to push my case, which to me means educating as many people as possible that, in the case of home education, it is a successful and viable alternative to school education. But I can't insist that Australia adopts my view, or even listens! All I can do is state my case, whenever I can. If someome says, "hey, we're ready to listen" I jump on the opportunity to have an audience. I don't care if that audience isn't sympathetic or is perhaps 'using me' - I firmly believe that the more people I tell my happy story to the better! Ultimately education will, with the resultant growth of the homeschooling movement at the grass roots level, pay dividends.

Good luck with your involvement. Remember to stay objective and detatched, to not let your passion for changing the world take over every day family life, find a sympathetic buddy that will support you in your endeavors, steer clear of fellow homeschoolers who will want to harrass you for your stand and poisonous rhetoric. Work out in your heart and mind what it is you wish to say - what will most benefit your family right now - and state your case with confidence as a citizen of a democracy.

Beverley Paine
www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au

Should home educators work to change legislation?

Yes, but representing themselves as individual familiesYes, but as part of a coalition of like-minded homeschooling familiesYes, but as part of a home education organisationNo, it's a waste of time and effortNo, it may backfire and result in regulation unfavourable to homeschoolingNo, I'm happy with the status quo and will accept whatever is decided by parliament

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