Why Is Homeschooling on the Rise in Australia?

Why Is Homeschooling on the Rise in Australia?

Parents choose to homeschool for various reasons, including wanting more control over their child’s education, dissatisfaction with the public school system, and religious or philosophical beliefs.

Families are more satisfied with their children’s education when they homeschool.

This may be because homeschooled children have more opportunities to learn outside the classroom, get one-on-one attention from their parents, and explore different interests.

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Homeschooling Australia is a Legally Recognised Choice

Families choose to homeschool for various reasons, one of which is legal recognition. With legal recognition and an approved home school curriculum similar to or in line with what the state requires, it is acceptable to start homeschooling.

Personalisation and Special Needs

Homeschooling allows parents to personalise their children’s curriculum and pace of education.

This is beneficial for children with special needs who need more attention or for families who want to move slower or faster than what is traditionally available in schools.

Traditional school settings can be complicated for special-needs families to ensure their children are taken care of in-home settings.

Not Desiring the Conventional Schooling System

Some parents of homeschooling children in Australia feel that the conventional school classroom is not a positive learning environment. 

This can be for diverse reasons, such as dissatisfaction with standardised testing and exams, lack of cultural recognition, or religious beliefs. 

Curriculum choice is also often based on incorporating specific cultural holidays and traditions into the child’s education, which may not be possible or recognised in the conventional school system.

Some Families Are More Religious than Others

Families may choose to home school for religious or philosophical reasons – they may feel that their religious beliefs are not adequately covered or acknowledged at school, or they are not geographically or financially able to access a school that does. Whatever the reason, more and more families are choosing to homeschool each year.

No Bullying in the Homeschool Environment

There are a variety of ways to deal with bullying, but when other solutions haven’t been effective, homeschooling is often recommended. This allows parents to protect their children’s safety while another solution is being determined.

Improved Family Life with Homeschool Education

Families who send their children to school every day find it difficult to have enough quality time together due to long school hours. Homeschooling allows parents to spend more time with their children and be more engaged in their educational content and experience. Parents must report on their homeschooled child’s progress after some time in order not to hinder the student’s education.

Better Results than Traditional School Environment

Homeschooling is becoming a more popular option for Australian families, with students outperforming their conventionally-schooled counterparts on average. The benefits of homeschooling are wide-ranging and include increased reading, language, maths, science, and social studies abilities.

Rise of Homeschooling Support Organisations

There are now many homeschooling support organisations in every state. These organisations help families with better laws and regulations, teacher support, and more. The rise of these organisations is a direct response to the growing popularity of homeschooling.

Peer Pressure on Schooling Education

Homeschooling families often get together for social activities, and these events are usually safe and supervised. This provides a great opportunity for children to interact with other kids who are homeschooled, and it can help them feel more connected to the homeschooling community.

Lower Expenses of Homeschooling

Education at home is becoming an increasingly popular financial option. Private school fees have increased significantly in recent years, making it more difficult for parents to afford to send their children to private schools.

Bad Classmates Increase Learning Difficulties

Some children leave school because they find that their peers are immature and do not share their same values. In other cases, a parent will remove a child from school to remove the temptation to continue a relationship with another student that has become harmful.

Not Happy with Teachers Is Also a Factor

There are several reasons why parents may choose to home-educate their children. One situation in which this may be necessary is when the child is not happy with their teacher. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as the teacher not having a passion for teaching, being too young and inexperienced, or being too old and jaded.

How COVID-19 Has Impacted Homeschooling in Australia!

The number of families homeschooling in Australia has increased significantly in the past year due to COVID-19. There are a variety of reasons why families choose to homeschool, but some of the most common reasons are school closures and vaccine refusal.

David Roy, a professor at the University of Newcastle, is an academic representative on the NESA Homeschooling Consultative Committee. He says that homeschooling has increased significantly over the past ten years.

There has been an increase in families selecting to homeschool over the past few years, likely due to issues with the current education system.

Nevertheless, homeschooling is becoming more popular in Australia for various reasons. Even though the Federal Government has not yet recognised it officially in statistics, the number of homeschooled children is growing rapidly.

This trend will continue even if the government takes action because educators and home-schooling families can work together to make it a successful experience for the child.

Negatives of Homeschooling!

Homeschooling Is Different to Distance Learning

Homeschooling and remote learning are two different things. Remote learning is a type of distance education that some families do if they live remotely.

This type of education usually happens when the family lives in a place where there are no schools nearby.

Some states and territories have differing requirements for homeschooling registration, which means that the process to register as a homeschooler can vary from place to place.

Additionally, while homeschoolers are not monitored as much as remote learners, they must still follow the general curriculum guidelines set by their state or territory.

Home Education Program Takes a Lot of Time and Effort

It takes a lot of time and effort to develop a homeschooling routine that works well for both the parents and the children. There are different ways to homeschool, but one popular approach is called “unschooling.”

This informal method of learning advocates student-chosen activities rather than teacher-directed lessons.

While it can be more challenging, many people find that unschooling allows for more personalised education.

Not Always Children Thrive Academically

There is a large and growing body of research that shows that children who are home-educated perform as well, if not better, than their traditionally schooled peers in a variety of academic areas.

However, this is not always the case, and there can be mixed results for children who are educated at home.

This often depends on the reasons why parents choose to educate their children at home, as well as on the individual child’s abilities and needs.

FAQ

Why homeschooling is on the rise?

Australian parents are considering homeschooling due to a variety of reasons. The most common reasons for opting for homeschooling are health concerns, disagreement with school policies, and an increased family bond.

Is homeschooling popular in Australia?

As per SBSNews, There are approximately 20,000 homeschooling students across Australia. Approximately 1,100 students were homeschooled in 2013. By 2018, this number had increased to 3,232 students. As per Wikipedia, there are 30,000 home-school students in Australia.

Is homeschooling better?

Traditional schools are not always the best option for children. Non-traditional learning is a better educational system for children. Homeschooling is an example of non-traditional learning. Homeschooled children score 15% to 30 % higher on standardised tests than students in public schools.

Is homeschooling legal in Australia?

Homeschooling is legal in every state and territory in Australia. Each state has its own Education Act related to homeschooling. Homeschoolers are required to register with their state education authority. They must comply with the laws of their state or territory.

What do psychologists say about homeschooling?

As per a study, many parents whose children go to public schools believe that homeschooled students are isolated. Some psychologists also warned parents that their children might face difficulty with mainstream life and have issues with growing up if they go through homeschool.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why a parent chooses to homeschool their child. Although there are positive points for this, homeschooling can be tough to implement. And also there is a fear that your child may not be able to mix with the real world outside.

So keeping some kind of balance might be the key here.

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