WE’RE A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO HOMESCHOOLING

HEAR FROM STEPHANIE

In Western Australia you have the ability to register with the government as a homeschooler. As a homeschooler, you are required to develop and implement the learning program for your teenager. Most homeschooling families that we meet are passionate about the choices that they have made and we acknowledge and celebrate your success.

At the same time, we believe that enrolment in our registered distance education program offers many benefits for families who have been involved with homeschooling for a long time or for families who are considering their options.

Here is a simple table with some of the differences between homeschooling and distance education:

	Home Schooling	Distance Education
Do I have to register with the WA government as a homeschooler?	Yes	No
Do I have visits from the government moderators?	Yes	No
Do I have to create my own learning program that meets the Western Australian Curriculum?	Yes	No
Do I have to keep records of lessons, learning progress, time allocations and assessments?	Yes	No
Will I use resources that were made in the United States for a completely different audience?	Probably	No
Do students have the opportunity to participate in co-curricular activities?	Yes	Yes
Am I a part of a registered school?	No	Yes

By highlighting the differences we aren’t saying distance education is necessarily better than home schooling, because different schooling modes suit different families. However, families that have switched from homeschooling to distance education have said that they now get to enjoy more of the good bits of educating at home (like seeing the delight in your teenager’s eyes as he or she learns a new skill) and less of the bad (like planning maths lessons when you’re sick).