I am an accidental homeschooler. We are an unexpectedly homeschooling family. Because of our precious child’s complex needs, that’s where we have ended up and it’s actually fantastic.
Today we’ve been to the library and a six year old could search the catalogue himself, because he’s a great reader and has excellent computer skills.
The Queensland Government has proposed amendments to the laws around home education which threaten to seriously disrupt the awesome, autonomous, creative, delightful learning going on in our home. The Government wants to legislate that we have to follow the national ACARA curriculum (the one that schools and teachers struggle with as it is) and report on standardised learning areas, as if we were at school too.
Home education is not school at home. It’s rich and rewarding and adaptable. It doesn’t need to be forced or pushed. A national curriculum would hold him back in some areas and stress him out in others. When we follow natural learning and desires, learning is quick, deep, enjoyable, and lasting. When the brain is ready for a different area, we go into that.
Please support kids’ rights to high quality education wherever or whoever they are! This includes kids learning at home, kids who are often traumatised, or have chronic illness or who are neurodivergent. Trust them, trust home schooling families, listen to us.
You can show your support for rights in education and object to discrimination against kids like mine.
You can send emails:
* your local state MP
* the Minister for Education, Di Farmer MP
educationandyouthjustice@ministerial.qld.gov.au
* the Premier, Steven Miles premier@ministerial.qld.gov.au
* the Parliamentary Committee responsible for reviewing this draft legislation – the Education, Employment, Training and Skills Committee EETSC@parliament.qld.gov.au
There is just two weeks to make a submission to the Committee and it can be as simple as an email https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-Committees/Committees/Committee-Details?cid=251&id=4389
You can come and join the EGPA Changes to Home Ed Discussion group.
Thanks for reading, thanks for standing in solidarity, thanks for caring about families like mine!
#free2homeschool
A Thousand Thoughts 