The Real Pros And Cons Of Homeschooling

Homeschooling, it’s certainly not the route for everyone in the journey towards educating the next generation of Australians, yet it is undoubtedly growing in popularity.

More students are being registered as homeschooled by their parents every year, and the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

So you might be wondering, what exactly are the benefits to homeschooling, and is it something you should consider for your own children?

Homeschooling can be done via Distance Education or by parents planning their own designated curriculum for the child. It has been popular in the United States for decades, and there are increasing numbers of homeschooling parents and carers in Australia.

What is the Difference Between Distance Education and Home Schooling?

Distance Education is where students are enrolled in one of the State Schools of Distance Education (there is one in every Australian State and Territory) to do all their academic work at home.  Homeschooling is where the parents or carers of the child teach the children themselves and are responsible for the curriculum and education planning for their child.

Homeschooling is done for a variety of reasons including:

• Religious persuasion
• Bullying Incidents for the Child in Past Schools
• The family is travelling and homeschooling is the only option
• Lifestyle Choice
• Overall dissatisfaction with schools in general
• The child has special needs
• Distances to the local school (particularly for rural students)

There are Australian National Curriculum guides for parents and carers who wish to homeschool their child.

First – The Legalities of Home Schooling

Homeschooling is legal in Australia for children between the ages of 6 to 17 years (or 5 – 16 years in Tasmania) and all children of schooling age MUST be registered for education whether it be the local school or homeschooling. In Queensland, all parents that wish to homeschool need to seek a yearly dispensation from the Department of Education or homeschooling is considered illegal.

Each State and Territory in Australia has different guidelines for homeschooling registration. See more information about homeschooling registration at Homeschooling Down Under

Well, there are pros and cons of homeschooling, as there are with anything else. Let’s have a look at them.

Next Page: The Pros of Homeschooling Your Child