Page 4418 - Week 12 - Thursday, 26 October 2017
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MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Women and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (10.50): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Today I introduce the Education Amendment Bill 2017. The bill amends the regulation of home education as set out in chapter 5 of the Education Act 2004. Two key changes to the current regulatory approach are made: provisional registration is removed and a new requirement that a home educated child be living, or usually living, in the ACT is introduced.
The bill also improves the management of the home education register, improves home education reporting and supplements the general regulation-making power in the act with specific references to elements of home education registration being prescribed by regulation.
The government recognises that, for a range of reasons, parents will choose to home educate their child. Issues like diverse religious, moral and educational philosophies; individual child needs, interests and aptitudes; or parent and child preferences are commonly relevant. Ultimately, parents have a right to choose the right educational environment for their children. The government respects that, for some parents, this means home education. The government acknowledges the significant commitment and personal effort that this choice involves.
In the ACT over 300 children are currently registered for home education, which takes a range of forms. Some parents choose to register a child for full-time home education across most of the child’s schooling. These children may be home educated until they enrol in college or even achieve university admission through portfolios and interviews, rather than through the usual tertiary admission process. Other children are registered for part-time home education and enrolled in part-time schooling, or might be home educated through their primary school years but go on to attend high school. Parents might also register a child for home education for short-term periods.
While parents are entitled to the option to choose home education for their children, the ACT government and community have a justifiable interest in ensuring that parental decisions about child education do not result in a child failing to attain minimum educational standards. Registration for home education is currently a two-step process. Firstly, provisional registration occurs for six months. The act requires the director-general to grant provisional registration on application without discretion. There are no conditions, minimum standards or other requirements during the provisional registration period.
Provisional registration is followed by full registration for up to two years on the condition that parents provide a high quality education, document the educational opportunities offered and the strategies used to encourage their child to learn, and make available for inspection any materials used for home education.
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