Home-schooling parents against Queensland government education changes

The Queensland government is facing a backlash from thousands of parents who are home schooling their children over plans to enforce rigid guidelines on what they teach. One MP has accused the government of eroding parents’ rights.

The home-schooling Cary family from Halifax, Hinchinbrook, North Queensland: Parents Andrew and Casey and children Hazel, 10, Owen, 8, Sage, 6, and Ivy, 3, outside the Ingham Squash Club. Picture: Cameron Bates

A Queensland family raising and educating four children say they strongly oppose any attempts by the state government to regulate home schooling.

Education Minister Di Farmer confirmed the department was undertaking a review of the Education Act 2006, which “included the consideration of potential changes to the laws that establish Queensland’s home-education requirements”.

More than 10,000 students were registered for home-schooling in 2023, an increase from 3411 children in 2019.

Andrew and Casey Cary are home-schooling four children aged 10 to 3 in the idyllic North Queensland township of Halifax in Hinchinbrook Shire north of Townsville.

Mr Cary, who has three girls aged 10, 6 and 3 and a boy, 8, said he was against any attempts to impose rigid guidelines, including curriculum requirements.

“I think home-schooling is more than just creating a traditional school in the comfort of your home – lots of people don’t like these concrete curriculums.”

Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto says parents are constantly having their rights taken away from them. “Home-schoolings is a perfect example of a time when they should be allowed to make the best decision for them and their children without Government interference,” the KAP deputy leader says. Picture: Evan Morgan

He said children learned and developed at different speeds.

“So there can be a curriculum that is based heavily around reading that may suit some, let’s say girls who are more inclined and enjoy reading at a young age, whereas boys, if they are 5, 6, 7 or 8, the idea of sitting down for half an hour or more reading can prove quite difficult and lead to issues at school.”

The self-employed businessman said the imposition of a standard curriculum “would take away the reasoning for parents to take their children out of school in the first place.”

“Don’t try and enforce the standard school curriculum on home schoolers, perhaps they should be looking at modifying the traditional curriculum, however I believe this is an impossible task given the vast array of children’s needs.”

Mr Cary said people were growing more distrustful of the government. “I think people are seeing these foundational institutions being undermined and people are sceptical of them and looking for alternatives.” Picture: Cameron Bates

Mr Cary said parents who wanted to provide bespoke tailored curriculums to their own children should be allowed to do so “as they believe they are not getting value or quality out of the traditional-school system”.

Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto said that instead of turning on parents, the government needed to ask itself why so many families were making the choice to educate from home.

“Parents should be better supported to make those decisions and not be chastised by the Government for their choices,” he said.

The KAP deputy leader said the government should address the root causes of parental dissatisfaction with traditional schooling.

“Parents are constantly having their rights taken away from them and this is a perfect example of a time when they should be allowed to make the best decision for them and their children without Government interference.”

Education Minister Di Farmer says a government review of the Education Act centred around three key themes, namely protecting students, providing for the good order and management of schools, and improving and modernising the provision of education services. Picture: Richard Walker

Minister Farmer said it was committed to ensuring every child and young person had a strong start to life.

She said the review had identified potential amendments to the Act to “modernise and streamline the legislative framework to make Queensland’s education framework fit for purpose.”

“Extensive consultation with key stakeholders was undertaken in stage 1 and more recently further targeted consultation on final policy options,” she said.

“Government is now considering all of the feedback it has received.”

Mr Cary said Mr Dametto’s assertion that the many parents were being driven from schools due to escalating violence may be true, but was not the case for his family.

He said the decision was part of an overall goal “to take on more responsibility for our lives”.

“Whether that be for the education of our children, our healthcare or the food that we grow and eat, basically we just want to have more control and more responsibility over our lives and not just farm that out to the government to take care of.”

Mr Cary said people were growing “more and more sceptical of the government”.

“I think people are seeing these foundational institutions being undermined and people are sceptical of them and looking for alternatives.”

Originally published as Home-schooling parents against Queensland government education changes