Getting Started with Homeschooling
Practical Considerations for Parents of School-Aged Children
© Beverley Paine
Index
Homeschool
Australia
The Registration Process: The 'Interview'
The process of ‘registration’ always includes the preparation of a learning program for each of the children being home schooled, an interview process and a regular review of the registration. This is done either annually or bi-annually in some instances. In some instances families have been reviewed more than once a year, but this is rare and the exception rather than the rule. The review interview process usually involves a negotiated visit by an educationally trained officer to discuss your home learning program, and is similar to the initial interview.
There is considerable contention about the role of interviews in the registration process, with many home educators feeling it is an invasion of privacy, and unnecessary in the determination of the quality of the home learning program. Many authorities will push for an interview in your home, but you can negotiate a neutral place, or concede but have a witness present. This should present no problems to the interviewing officer, and will bolster your confidence. If possible arrange to have an experienced home educator.
It is not essential for the educational officers to have access to your children during the interview, but once again this will generally be sought. Children are not required to answer questions or be interviewed, but there may be pressure on them to do so if they are present. You may need to prepare the children if they consent to being interviewed. Remember, it is your educational program that is being assessed for the purposes of approval to home educate, not your children's abilities or knowledge. You may need to be firm on this issue.
‘Testing’ of the children is unnecessary and usually unwarranted and can be very stressful for the children. Be wary of ‘innocent’ tests, questions designed to gauge your children’s educational standard or level. This is not the role of the interviewing officer - they are simply there to assess the educational suitability of the prepared program. By providing access to records of your children’s previous learning programs you can offer enough information for the interviewer to assess the educational attainments of your children. This is a process well accepted in schools.
Many children are quite happy to talk to the interviewing officers, and often bring scrap books or work books, pets and projects to ‘show off’. This friendliness and openness is always impressive. It is not uncommon for the children to completely take over the interview process. During one interview a young home schooling girl confidently placed her pet chicken on the lap of one unsuspecting interviewer and kept him captivated for well over one hour, and in another a twelve year old proceeded to video the entire interview for a media project!
There are some advantages to having the interview process in your own home. Firstly, this is the place you feel most comfortable. You can arrange your home for the interview to your vantage, preparing the environment to highlight aspects you feel would benefit your case. Secondly, your children are most comfortable here, and have rooms of their own they can play in, or gardens, and can keep themselves happily occupied while the interview progresses. Another important advantage is having everything handy, in case you wish to add something to your application at the last minute. Remember, the interviewer will most comfortable in a classroom or office. The home is a superior learning environment and can be easily demonstrated as such.
 previous page |
Excerpt from Getting Started with Homeschooling, Practical Considerations
© Beverley Paine, 1997
