Learning at the home-school of life

THE number of parents educating kids at home is rising. Have they made a smart choice or are they acting irresponsibly?

Jenni Domansky and her family are, by their own admission, conventional. She works weekends in a call centre selling insurance, her husband works in packaging. Their three daughters, Kaitie, 14, Tash, 13, and Aly, 11, are happy, well-adjusted girls. Except, unlike most girls their age, they don’t go to school.

Four days a week they do schoolwork at home, set by a teacher from the Access Yea Community Education program, which provides support for students not enrolled at school.

The girls complete their work at home, calling or emailing teachers if they have questions. On the fifth day, Kaitie and Tash travel to a classroom 25 minutes away, to check in with teachers. Aly will join them next year. Eventually they’ll sit Year 12 exams. Read more