Tasmanian Home Education Advisory Council Annual Report

Role

The role of the Tasmanian Home Education Advisory Council (THEAC) is to:

• provide policy advice and information to the Minister in relation to home education
• be responsible for adequate monitoring of home education and to advise on the adequacy of individual programs of home education
• provide a reference point for inquiries regarding home education
• respond to community concerns about home education
• maintain liaison with other agencies on matters regarding home education
• organise ongoing support and assistance to home educators.

Membership

THEAC consists of six members appointed by the Minister for Education, three of whom were nominated by home educators and three by the Minister for Education. The 2006 membership was:

With one member’s term concluding in December 2005 and two members’ terms concluding during 2006, THEAC went through a major transition period calling for two home educator nominees and with the Minister appointing a third.

Employees

THEAC employs a part-time administration officer and two part-time monitoring officers.

Administration officer

The key function of the administration officer is to provide administrative support and information to THEAC and to execute the decisions of council.

This involves:

• maintaining high levels of responsibility and confidentiality to successfully handle sensitive issues and personal information
• managing all office procedures, facilitating advice and support to home educators and performing such other duties as the council may from time to time determine
• representing the role and function of THEAC in good faith amongst home educators and the wider community
• working independently and exercising initiative, discretion and judgement while working to the direction of council and the broad supervision of the chair.

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Monitoring officers

The key function of the monitoring officers is to assist council in the monitoring of home education according to the established policies and practices of the council.

This involves:

• high levels of responsibility and confidentiality to successfully handle sensitive issues and personal information
• representing the role and function of THEAC in good faith amongst home educators and the wider community
• working independently and exercising initiative, discretion and judgement while working to the direction of council and the broad supervision of the chair.

Office Base

23 Canning Street,
Launceston, Tasmania, 7250.
Phone/Fax: 6334 5381
Email: admin@theac.org.au
Website: www.theac.org.au

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Charter: purpose and vision

Context

Home education occurs when parents choose to assume responsibility for planning, implementing and evaluating their children’s learning program from the home base. The council has been established by the Minister for Education to assist in the management and support of home education in Tasmania. The role of THEAC is to provide policy advice and information to the Minister in relation to home education.

THEAC accepts responsibility for monitoring new and ongoing home education programs for families who have given 'notification of home education' and have made themselves available for the monitoring process. In addition, it provides a reference point for queries, responds to community concerns, and maintains liaison with other agencies about home education. The council is not responsible for families who withdraw their children from school, or do not send their children to school and have not given notice of their intention to home educate.

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Beliefs and values

THEAC members believe that:

• All children are entitled to receive an adequate and appropriate education, including students who are being home educated.
• Home education is an excellent educational option for many children.
• Home education should continue to be recognised and supported as a legitimate option for education in Tasmania.
• All matters relating to individual circumstances of home educators should be maintained in accordance with the requirements of privacy legislation.
• Monitoring should be unobtrusive and sensitive to differing beliefs and practices, and be undertaken in a spirit of collaboration, support and assistance.
• Home educating parents should be free to choose from a wide variety of resources, commercial programs and curriculum materials in line with their educational values and beliefs.
• THEAC should not favour any particular home education program or curriculum materials.
• THEAC should maintain its independence from the Department of Education, and from any other government agency or non-government affiliation, and be directly responsible to the Minister for Education.

Operating principles

The employees and members of THEAC operate according to the following principles:

• closely apply the home education policy in relation to their work
• maintain a non-intrusive and professional point of reference for all home education queries
• ensure that all families registered with THEAC are adequately monitored in a collaborative manner according to relevant procedures
• maintain accurate records of matters pertaining to THEAC’s business
• ensure liaison with other agencies and professionals involved with home educators
• respond quickly to inquiries raised about home education either in general or in relation to individual circumstances
• provide accurate and timely information and policy advice to the Minister, as appropriate.

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Report on council activities for 2006

Meetings

The council conducted nine regular meetings during the year. The main function of the council meetings was to consider the monitoring reports relating to home educators' programs and new applications for home education. Two workshops were also arranged to discuss the administration and management role and function of THEAC and to review and update policies and procedures. The council maintained liaison with the Minister for Education throughout the year.

Registration and monitoring

During 2006, council received notice from parents, on behalf of 198 children, seeking registration as home educators. Together with families with ongoing home education programs, monitoring reports for 363 children from 219 families were prepared, including 40 self-reports. A total of 520 students from 288 families were registered with THEAC as at 31 December 2006.

Professional development

THEAC provided professional development for council members and staff through Relationships Australia. One afternoon session was held with access to counselling on an 'as needs' basis arranged.

Policy and procedure issues

• Council reaffirmed its procedure that release of student registration status to external departments and agencies can only be made when the request was in writing.
• New Notification of Home Education form, requesting certified copies of birth certificates, was finalised and implemented. Two council proforma correspondences were reviewed and amended:
  • THEAC registration letter which accompanies the Minister’s letter
  • Confirmation of the monitoring visit, date and time letter indicating that the child/ren must be present for the monitoring visit [to satisfy 'duty of care' in relation to that child].
• Additions to the THEAC Handbook:
  • "…A combination of part-time schooling and part-time home education is not allowable
    under the Act."
  • "…Note: Part-time home education registration and part-time school enrolment are not permitted under the Education Act 1994, Part 2, Division 1, 4, (2)"
  • 5.3 Addition to the financial manager’s task list
  • Appendices G(ii) [Monitoring Procedures Flow Chart] and G(iii) [Completion Categories] were added.
• The administration officer continued to maintain administrative procedures for THEAC and support for home educators.
• The monitoring officers visited families statewide as requested by council and presented reports on these families to council for consideration. Council members assisted with the monitoring process as required.
• THEAC received 224 requests for its information kits during the year.
• The Minister’s office and relevant Learning Services continued to be advised regularly of families who either register for or cease home education. Families are advised of this procedure when they register.

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Monitoring policy and procedures

• Monitoring procedure for new registrations for existing families was determined.
• 'Parents/Guardians' was replaced with 'Home Education Registered Parents/Guardians' on council monitoring forms.
• Articles suggesting strategies for parents to detail their natural learning program were presented in THEAC newsletters.

Public and professional relations

• The council maintained liaison with various government departments, including the Department of Education, in particular the Learning Services, in carrying out its support for home educators.
• The council continued to disseminate information both within the community at large and the community of home educators throughout the state.
• Notices about home education were placed in the Back to School supplement in regional newspapers at the beginning of the year.
• Information sessions:
  • on curricula and resources for home educators were held in Hobart and Devonport
  • for intending home educators were held in Hobart and Launceston.
• THEAC assisted with enquiries relating to the proposed 2007 National Home Education Conference.
• THEAC circulated a questionnaire to 177 students who were previously home educated.
• Input was provided to the relevant government agencies on the impact of the proposed 'Welfare to Work' Bill on home educating families. Registered home educators of children under 16 years of age were then provided with exemption from participation.
• The issue of part-time school and part-time home education was clarified and it was noted that under the Education Act 1994, this was not a legal option.
• Implications of Pathway Planning on home educators and THEAC responsibilities in relation to that were discussed and steps commenced to address this issue.

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Support for home educating families

• Many home educators continued to use resources from Distance Education to supplement their programs.
• Forty-two home educated students registered for the government schools 2006 Literacy and Numeracy testing.
• Five newsletters were published for home educators over the year and provided on the THEAC website. These newsletters provided information updates and were used to continue a supportive liaison between the council and home educators.
• The Resource Library was reviewed/upgraded and restocked.
• Investigation on health services available and referral to other agencies.

Financial report

A financial report for the period July 2005 to June 2006 has been presented to the Minister for Education.

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