|
General Requirements of the Registration Process
The list given below and on the next two pages is a general summary of guidelines generally used for considering home school
applications by officers of educational authorities. Although specific requirements alter
between different areas, offices and states, the contents of this list have proven, over time,
to be reasonably consistent.
Don't be put off or deterred by the educational jargon used in most educational and bureaucratic
documents and texts. All occupations develop jargon - it is a type of workplace language.
Instead of thinking of jargon as an exclusive language, and resenting the use of it by
educational officers, regard it as your own - you are becoming an educational professional,
much like a teacher! Learn the meanings of key words, and practice translating jargon into
your everyday language to make everyone, even officials, more comfortable. This is one
of the fastest ways of building confidence as a home educator.
As you read through the requirements remember the officers who compiled this list
work within one kind of educational system, and have little or no experience of how home
learning happens. They have based these requirements on their limited school experience.
Some of the requirements on this list may not be relevant to your proposed learning
program. If this is the case you may need to persuade the interviewing officer that
different places of learning need different approaches to education.
 Reasons for request. This is not always required. In any case, the reasons for
choosing to home educate are irrelevant to the quality of the proposed educational
program under consideration. Consequently there shouldn’t be any need to include
them in your submission. Sometimes offering reasons can unfairly prejudice the
interviewing officer against your application, if there are conflicting attitudes or
philosophies.
Names of the parents or caregivers responsible for the provision of educational
program. Often qualifications and/or experience are asked for; don't be intimidated
by this - in most states you don't need teaching qualifications to educate your
children at home, although you do need to have attained an appropriate level of
literacy and numeracy, preferably senior school level. There are many approved
home schooling parents who never finished senior school themselves, but have
successfully educated their own children to beyond this level. Don’t be deterred.
List all of your qualifications, no matter what field they are in, and don’t forget life
skills and work experience (both paid and voluntary).
Relevance of the proposed educational program, and level of study, to the
children's learning needs. This simply means providing individual learning
programs tailored to each child's level of instruction. Part 4 offers advice on how
to determine your children’s learning needs and styles.
A suitable home learning environment. Although physical layout, space,
equipment, displays, etc., are considered, the overall impression and atmosphere of
the home are most important - does it look and feel like a place where children are
learning?
A proposed program of work covering essential skills and understandings,
outlining curriculum details; subjects, learning plans, timetables, balance, and
types of teaching methodologies. In addition to outlining, in broad terms, your
overall goals for the year, it is a good idea to offer a simple example of a typical
day’s learning plan. This demonstrates at a glance your awareness of how learning
objectives are targeted and accomplished in planned activities. When thinking
about this consider what the children are going to learn and how, its
appropriateness and relevance to their learning needs, and if it reflects what
children generally need to learn to function and participate as adults in society.
Parts 5 and 6 takes you through some of the processes involved in determining
these. How much you prepare, and what form it will take, is your choice. It
depends upon on your personal style, how confident you are, and your current
knowledge of your children’s educational development.
Excerpt from Getting Started with Homeschooling, Practical Considerations
© Beverley Paine, 1997
|
previous page 
