Queensland’s Home Education Unit announced just a few days ago (28 Oct 2022) a whopping 69% increase in home educated student numbers since 2021. This is the largest increase in any Australian jurisdiction to date.
“Home education has been growing in Australia steadily for a number of years now,” says Karen Chegwidden, President at HEA, Australia’s peak body for home educators. “We’ve seen spikes in growth throughout the pandemic, but no one expected such a huge increase in Queensland this year.”
This increase comes in the wake of consistent growth in the sector, making home education the fastest growing sector in education. Despite this growth, Minister Grace continues to oppose the formation of a Home Schooling Advisory Committee to work with the Department of Education, similar to THEAC in Tasmania.
Common reasons cited for home educating include philosophical reasons, needs of children not being met in schools, greater flexibility for families’ lifestyles and improved relationships within the family unit. It is unclear what is driving the increase in Queensland in particular. The QLD Department of Education is currently undertaking a survey on this topic; we look forward to the results.
To learn more about home education, click here: www.hea.edu.au
The HEA Queensland information page is found at www.hea.edu.au/qld
The support team can be reached via email heaqsupport@hea.edu.au
About HEA: The mission of the HEA is to promote the practice of home education across Australia, support and empower home educators and to advance educational equity for members.