Welcome to The Educating Parent Beverley Paine's archive of articles about homeschooling and unschooling written over a period of 30 plus years

HomeAbout Blog Articles Curriculum Resource Directory Shop Facebook

Download our FREE The Educating Parent Resource Directories today! Plus... more FREE resources!

Free download a quick guide to getting started with homeschooling and unschooling by Beverley Paine The Educating Parent in this excellent Resource Directory

 

Free directory of Australian homeschooling and unschooling support groups organised by national, state and territories

 
Plan, record and report all in the one document! Always Learning Books planners available in each year level to suit your homeschooling needs, includes curriculum checklists
Let Beverley and friends help you design and write your own curriculum to suit your child's individual learning needs, learn how to prepare lessons, unit studies and more, record and evaluate your children's learning in this series of 3 parent workbooks developed on Beverley's popular homeschool manual Getting Started with Home School Practical Considerations
this Always Learning Year 7 Plan is everything you need to get started a comprehensive collection of curriculum aligned resources and links to activities, lesson plans and unit studies for your year 7 homeschooling student
Introduction to
Home Education
  National and State
Support Groups
  Yearly Planner, Diary & Report Series of How To
Parent Workbooks
Homeschool Learning Plans

Support Groups: National SA VIC NSW QLD TAS ACT NT
Registration Guides: VIC NSW QLD SA WA TAS ACT NT

Looking for support, reassurance and information?
Join Beverley's The Educating Parents Homeschooling and Unschooling Facebook online group.

 

Changing Nature of Home Education

Beverley Paine, August 2021

There is no doubt that the nature of home education is changing. I've been kicking around in homeschooling land since 1986 and saw it coming, but nothing could have prepared me for the change that has happened since the beginning of last year.

20 years ago a principal at our local school attended a conference in Melbourne and came back enthused about the potential of online education. I was sceptical at the time, and for this reason: this morning I heard that 33,000 students in NSW don't have access to reliable internet at home. I am disappointed but not surprised that although the system were aware that the future of education was internet based the pace of change, the infrastructure and support needed to support that change, weren't given the attention required.

The internet has changed the nature of home education. We began home educating with pencils and workbooks. We bought a third-hand photocopier - homeschoolers who could afford it did back then. I haven't heard the term 'blackline masters' used in years... I remember dreaming of one day being able to pick up my phone and access an all-knowing online encyclopaedia because there really wasn't enough books in our local library to answer our questions. Imagine homeschooling without the internet! I can't. And I did it.

In the 1990s I figured that the education system I wanted for my children probably wouldn't appear until they had their children. By the time they'd grown up I realised it was at least another generation away. Perhaps my kids grandkids might enjoy that... I see pockets of community-based education appearing here and there and I still believe home education is leading the way, but change, lasting sustainable change, is slow.

18 months ago like many others I railed against the adoption of the term 'homeschooling' by governments desperately trying to rapidly adapt to something they had enthusiastically chatted about 20 years earlier - online education. And although like many others I was protesting that no, forced schooling at home is not homeschooling, I was quietly disturbed. It is absolutely true that the practice of home education is worlds apart from a school-based educational experience, and at the heart of this is that word 'forced'. In the home we have to negotiate with our children. They can choose when and how and why to learn in ways that their schooled peers can't. It changes the very nature of education for our children. It changes the very understanding of the nature of education for us parents.

Even the most ardent 'school-at-home' approaches to home education are affected by the freedom our families experience to constantly and continuously adapt what and how and when and where we approach education to meet our children's individual needs, in ways that schools can't possibly match.

But at the same time as acknowledging and celebrating this wonderful effect that sustained home educating has on our understanding and beliefs about the purpose and role of education in our children's lives, I have seen an gentle but persistent undermining of this freedom.

And it is coming from the source that I knew it would 20 years ago. Educational curriculum providers - the massive industry that supports school education - would one day realise that home education is BIG business. Far better to supply 500 individual homeschools than one local primary school. There is real money to be made here. Don't ever doubt it.

And it is all going online. The enthusiastic principal I mentioned earlier waxed lyrically about gamifying education to increase engagement and motivation to learn. Kids don't play computer games to learn, the learning that occurs happens anyway while they play for other reasons. Having made a board game to help my children learn particular maths skills I know how tempting it is to go down this path. But it does miss the point. And after we've homeschooled for a year or two or five this point takes centre stage in our lives: we learn what we need to learn, successful learning is personally meaningful in the here and now, and the ability to tailor experiences and activities to suit individual learner needs facilitates this. Home education is successful because it is agile, adaptive, flexible.

Adopting methods that have suited school-based learning have limited functionality in free learning environments.

And what I'm seeing in the transition to online education is whole-sale replication of those methods.

And because it is conveniently available, and because it is what people believe to be what children need because schools have been using it for decades, it is slowly replacing the time honoured experimentation that I believe gives rise to home education success. Trial and error - making mistakes - is how we humans learn. Getting to know what works for us as individuals. Continually honing and fine tuning. And that involves taking risks, having a go, backtracking... But we need time - and freedom - to do that.

And if there is one thing I've learned about marketing over all these years it is that it is easier to sell something if we remove time and freedom from the decision making process, and focus on emotional reactions rather than considered reasoning.

Convenience - being able to ply our kids with something that we think will teach them what we think they should know by a certain age - is changing the nature of home education.

The last 18 months, with governments across the world suddenly enthusiastically and appropriating the term 'homeschooling' to describe switching, without adequate preparation, from learning in the classroom to learning in the home, has also had a profound effect on the nature of home education.

We've seen a huge influx of families who have embraced home education because they've realised the limitations of school to meet their children's needs. Many will last the distance, many won't - but that's not unusual in homeschooling land. School is the norm. We all know that. Our kids know that. It is unusual for home educating children to go through their entire childhoods without some experience of school. But every day learning outside of the school system is a wonderful experiment that leads to how learning actually happens, how it can be tailored to meet our individual needs. This practice, this experience, is the essence of home education.

But not if we're merely replicating what happens in schools, how kids are taught in schools - the why, how and when of it. And that's what I see happening: a gradual take over of homeschooling by the school system. Homeschooling becoming mainstream, but not as an alternative to school, but simply just another branch of school. The essence of its success slowly fading.

And I think this is what many home educating parents are voicing when they say that lockdown homeschooling "is not homeschooling". When they get angry that governments are suddenly embracing and appropriating the term homeschooling. Why they write articles and try to point out that lockdown homeschooling isn't homeschooling, not for home educating students, not for school students. The practice of home education is a different beast. If we give in and say that is the same, we lose the essence of home education, what makes it successful.

Image: Steven Weirather - girl doing schoolwork on her laptop

Was this article helpful? Was it worth $1.00 to you? Your gift of $1 or more helps to keep this site operating offering encouragement and reassurance to families wanting better outcomes for their children.

Thank you for your gift contribution!

Beverley Paine with her children, and their home educated children, relaxing at home.

Together with the support of my family, my aim is to help parents educate their children in stress-free, nurturing environments. In addition to building and maintaing this website, I continue to create and manage local and national home educating networks, help to organise conferences and camps, as well as write for, edit and produce newsletters, resource directories and magazines. I am an active supporter of national, state, regional and local home education groups.

"You've been an inspiration to me, I love the way
you really listen to people."
Vanessa

"Whenever I read your writing I always come away
with increased confidence in my ability to provide and
share a wonderful learning journey with my family!"
Davina

"Your guidance, understanding, support and words of
wisdom changed our lives. We now offer support and
organise many homeschooling events for others."
Lesley

"Thank you once again for your prompt and friendly service.
I am convinced that your books are going to add
quality and peace of mind to my journey of teaching my kids
at home! Just from studying your website, until almost
2am in the morning, I 've been encouraged!"
Louisa

"Thank you for all your many,many reassuring words
over many, many years. You probably don't know exactly how valuable you are to the Australian Home Education community. I've been reading your stuff for maybe 8 years or more now. And I'm very grateful."
Gythaa

image is 3 workbooks for parents set on a background showing bushland, DIY home ed curriculum planning, recording, evaluating, write your own curriculum
Want to learn how to write your own education plans
to suit your unique children's individual learning needs?

Or you are looking for quality curriculum and teaching tips...

Comprehensive 3 workbook 'how to home ed' course
covering the essential skills you need
successfully home educate your children


 

 

Welcome to the World of Home Education
and Learning without School!

We began educating our children in 1985, when our eldest was five. In truth, we had helped them learn what they need to learn since they were born. I am a passionate advocate of allowing children to learn unhindered by unnecessary stress and competition, meeting developmental needs in ways that suit their individual learning styles and preferences. Ours was a homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning family! There are hundreds of articles on this site to help you build confidence as a home educating family. We hope that your home educating adventure is as satisfying as ours was! Beverley Paine

3 ESSENTIAL STEP BY STEP GUIDES

Getting Started with
Home Educating Series of

PARENT WORKBOOKS

#1 Create Your
Own Curriculum

#2 DIY Lesson Plans
& Unit Studies

#3 Recording and Evaluation Made Simple

$10.00 each (includes postage)

let experienced home educators Beverley, Tamara and April walk you through HOW to create a learning plan that builds on solid foundations that works for YOUR family AND ticks all the boxes for home educaton registration with part 1 of this getting started with home educating serioes of parent workbooks, Create Your Own Curriculum!
Let experienced home educators Beverley, Tamara and April walk you through HOW to create a learning plan that builds on solid foundations that works for YOUR family AND ticks all the boxes for home educaton registration!

To see the full range of Beverley Paine's books on homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning visit Always Learning Books

Tap into Beverley's experience
through her books

"Your books, your blogs helped me beyond words... they helped me to find comfort in knowing it is ok to choose exactly what is best for my family." Nisha

"Your books and information are mind blowing and already I am feeling good about this new experience." Diane

"Your guidance, understanding, support & words of wisdom changed our lives." Leslie

"I feel specially inspired by Beverley's words and, the more I read her comments, the more inspired I feel, since my need for support, respect for different parenting styles, and information are fully met." Marijo
purchase Beverley's practical and common sense books on homeschooling and unschooling
Connect with Beverley and ask questions
through her online The Educating Parents Homeschooling and Unschooling Facebook support group
.

click here to become a Fearless Homeschool member giving you access to all past summit workshops as well as exciting new content and webinars, online discussion platform, and more

The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.

The Educating Parent acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners, the Custodians of Australia, and pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people viewing this website.

Advertise on this site.

say goodbye to home education registration stress with this ultimate rego bundle from Fearless Homeschool

make homeschooling a lot easier, zero to homeschool's excellent course is here to help

Australia's best home education consultant, let Tamara Kidd guide and help you prepare your home education registration application or review

Twinkl downloadable Home education resources helping you teach confidently at home

Online science lessons for primary school aged home educating children

Home education is a legal alternative
to school education in Australia.
State and Territory governments are responsible
for regulating home education and have different
requirements, however home educating families
are able to develop curriculum and learning programs
to suit the individual needs of their children.

animated Australian flag

Without revenue from advertising
by educational suppliers and Google Ads
we could not continue to provide information
to home educators. Please support us by letting
our advertisers know that you found them on
The Educating Parent. Thanks!

Support Centre
Contact Us | Join a Support Group | Beverley's Books | Resource Directory | Blog | Donate

About The Educating Parent
Beverley Paine | April Jermey and Always Learning Books | Advertise with us

Sitemap

What is Home Education Why Home Educate Getting Started & Registering Different Ways to Home Educate
Life as a Home Educator Resources & Support Teens and Beyond Curriculum and Teaching Tips
Unschooling & Natural Learning Travelling & Home Educating Record Keeping Children's Pages

animated smiling face Thank you for visiting!

The opinions and articles included on this website are not necessarily those of Beverley Paine, The Educating Parent, nor do they endorse or recommend products listed in contributed articles, pages, or advertisements on pages within this website.
Disclosure: Affiliate links are used on this site that take you to products or services outside of this site.  Please review products and services completely prior to purchasing through these links. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question before purchasing or signing up. Always Learning Books, April Jermey assume no responsibility for those purchases or returns of products or services as a result of using these affiliate links.

If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions about this site, please feel free to contact us.


Text and images on this site © All Rights Reserved 1999-2024.