Home Schooling Consultative Group meeting – 22 March 2023

Members were welcomed to the meeting. The chair also advised members that Nicole Mazur's membership of the Home Schooling Consultative Group (HSCG) has become vacant after consultation with NESA.

Action arising: Nil

The previous HSCG meeting was held on 7 December 2022. Read the matters arising from that meeting.

2a. NSW Curriculum Reform and home schooling

Members were advised that NESA has recruited a Senior Curriculum Project Officer to develop support material to assist home schooling families as they transition to new NESA syllabuses. The Chair also advised members that NESA will be recruiting a second Senior Curriculum Project Officer.

Action arising: Nil

2b. Recommencement of home visits by Authorised Persons

Members were advised that the NESA website was updated in December 2022 with information about the recommencement of home visits. An email was sent to all registered home schooling families in December 2022 informing them of this update. Home schooling application forms were also updated to include an 'optional comment section' in early January 2023.

Action arising: Nil

2c. Self-assessment questionnaire

Members were advised that a link to the self-assessment questionnaire was sent to all members on 15 December 2022.

Action arising: Nil

Nil

Action arising: Nil

Members were provided with data regarding the results collected from the HSCG self-assessment questionnaire. Respondents had very positive feedback regarding their involvement with the HSCG and about the conduct of meetings in 2022.

Action arising: Nil

a. NSW Curriculum Reform and home schooling

Members were provided with an implementation timeline of new NESA syllabuses for Kindergarten to Year 12 up until 2025. Members were advised of feedback that had been received by NESA Authorised Persons regarding the development of possible resources to assist home schooling families during this transition period.

Members were also given an opportunity to provide feedback on areas of resource development that would assist home schooling families with their implementation of new syllabuses.

Action arising: NESA to consider the scope and available resources as they develop a range of resources to effectively assist home schooling families with the implementation of new syllabuses.

b. Recommencement of home visits by Authorised Persons

Members were provided with data around the use of the ‘optional comment section’ that has recently been included on home schooling application forms. Approximately 4% of applications received between January to March 2023 have used this section.

Comments made in this section have welcomed the recommencement of home visits with many families using it to provide the Authorised Person with information around access to the home, health of family members or information of a general nature relating to home schooling.

Members were advised that NESA Authorised Persons have engaged in further professional learning in preparation for the recommencement of home visits. NESA has recruited additional Authorised Persons to help address the increase in home schooling applications.

NESA has also appointed additional staff within the Home Schooling Unit, which will enable further support to Authorised Persons in their work.

Members welcomed the recommencement of home visits, but did acknowledge that there may be some apprehension felt by home school families that have never undertaken a home visit previously.

Members were reminded that NESA has published information on its website regarding what home schooling families can expect when home visits recommence.

Action arising: Nil

Members were provided home schooling data for January to December 2022.

It was noted that the most recent data again reflects an increase in the number of children registered for home schooling, along with an increase in the number of applications received compared to the previous year.

Members were advised that there has been an increase in the percentage of applications refused. The increase has mainly been attributed to applicants not being available for assessment.

Members were also advised that home schooling representatives from NESA will be attending an interjurisdictional Home Education forum this month in Hobart.

Action arising: Nil

Members were advised that they will be sent communication out-of-session seeking nominations for home schooling parents to present at upcoming AP Briefings this year on areas they believe would be valuable to APs.

The Chair also acknowledged that the term of some HSCG members will be expiring in June 2023. NESA will be commencing a process to replace outgoing members in time for the HSCG meeting due to take place on 13 September 2023.

Action arising: NESA to email HSCG members out-of-session requesting parent nominations to present at upcoming AP Briefings. NESA to also initiate necessary steps to fill outgoing HSCG member positions.