Home Schooling Consultative Group meeting – 28 July 2017

The minutes of the 26 May 2017 meeting were confirmed and will be published on the HSCG webpage.

The Chair welcomed Dr Mark Askew as a NESA nominee on the HSCG.

None declared

Following a process of review by HSCG members, minor amendments to the draft Consultation Report have been made.

Action arising

NESA to make further amendments to clarify the HSIE requirements.

Following a process of review by HSCG members, minor amendments to the draft Guidelines have been made.

These updates relate to:
(i)  clarification in the use of terminology
(ii) additional text, where required, to provide greater clarity in the information being provided.

Action arising

• NESA to consider additional text to be added to the Guidelines in relation to eligibility requirements for the transition from home schooling to school for Years 11 and 12.
• It was agreed that consideration would be given to rewording the reference to the ‘time allocated for learning…comparable to the time allocated by schools’.
• NESA to seek approval for the new Guidelines.

A strategy has been developed to guide communication about the Guidelines to the home schooling community.

Action arising

• Approximate publication date for the Guidelines is September 2017
• NESA to send emails to the home schooling community notifying them of the publication of the Guidelines
• NESA to publish samples of educational plans, processes for record keeping etc 
• NESA to update the home schooling web page
• NESA to publish a news item in NESA news
• NESA to review and revise all references in correspondence and forms
• APs will seek feedback from home schooling families following the implementation of the Guidelines.

Parent Samples

The process of collecting samples from home schooling parents is ongoing.
Samples will be selected to show the diversity of approaches to home schooling.

Work of the HSCG

Consideration to be given to the work program of the HSCG for 2018. The Government’s response to the recommendations from the 2014 Inquiry of the NSW Legislative Committee on Home Schooling will guide areas for a future work program.

AP Recruitment Process

Feedback has been received on the current AP Recruitment Process and will be followed up at a future meeting of the HSCG.

Action arising

• Samples can be submitted by emailing the home schooling unit at homeschooling@nesa.nsw.edu.au
• HSCG members invited to consider the work program for future meetings.
• The Government’s response to the recommendations from the 2014 Inquiry of the NSW Legislative Committee on Home Schooling to be considered at the next meeting of the HSCG.
• The AP recruitment process to be discussed at the next HSCG meeting.