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From the end of July 08 this website will no longer be updated but will remain online as an archive.
For current information about home education in Australia please visit the Home Education Association of Australia.
While there, please consider joining this vital support network that works hard to promote home education in Australia.
Home education is a legal alternative to school education in Australia.
State governments are responsible for regulating home education.
Different states have different requirements, however
homeschooling families are able to develop curriculum and learning programs
to suit the individual needs of their children.
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Please note: the information on this website is of a general nature only and is
not intended as personal or professional advice.
The Benefits of Home Education for Parents
© Beverley Paine
Most lists of homeschooling benefits focus on the outcomes for the children. The following is a list of personal benefits I've derived from homeschooling my three children over the last sixteen years.
- Catching up on missed learning, or re-learning things, from my own schooling days.
- Continually broadening my own knowledge base.
- Becoming more organised.
- Becoming more flexible and open to change.
- Learning to deal with problems straight away - giving up the procrastination habit.
- Learning how to ask useful questions.
- Learning how to research effectively.
- Sharing in the excitement of the development of a growing mind.
- Developing a close intellectual bond with my children.
- Developing a strong emotional bond with my children.
- Watching my children develop personal values congruent with my own, but with strong and confident self esteems based on individual and unique temperaments so that they are able to develop their own personal values as well.
- Being able to confidently and comfortably discuss difficult issues with my children.
- Being trusted by my children as someone they can confide in.
- Enjoying a close family bond, based on cooperation and compromise and love.
- Finding my own unique learning style, whilst helping my children find theirs.
- Realising that there are many ways to learn, not just from school or text books!
- Discovering the value of experiential learning.
- Realising that learning happens all the time, and can happen at any time of the day, not just 9-3!
- Understanding that learning is a lifelong pursuit - that I am an active learner as well as my children.
- Discovering that asking questions is often more important than finding answers, and valuing the role of imagination in the creative and problem solving processes.
- Having the opportunity and ability to pursue areas of interest to me - academic, interest and hobby - and to include my children in my enthusiasm.
- Learning how to use and access a wide range of learning media - computers, television, videos, libraries, community institutions, people, materials, etc.
- Discovering I am not indispensable - allowing myself to let others tutor my children and learning how to recognise quality and safe tutors for my children.
- Discovering the educational value of play and creativity, and incorporating more of it into my own life!
- Learning the basic rule of education - 'Don't say no - have a go!'
- Learning the value of in-depth, interest led studies - choosing the content and methodology for each educational activity rather than having to follow a rigid curriculum.
- Being valued as a parent - experiencing increased self esteem and self worth.
- Enjoying exposure to a wide range of activities when supporting my children's interests and learning I may not otherwise have ever been interested in.
- Having quality friends - being part of a great group of like- minded, child-friendly parents interested in education.
- Learning a lot about education, how learning happens, understanding the process of learning.
- Learning that having fun and enjoying myself is okay...
This page has been translated into German for the Leben ohne Schule website: www.leben-ohne-schule.de/ beverley.paine/profitieren.html
Other related articles and links:
Are they any disadvantages to homeschooling? Read some comments by several homeschooling mothers.
Beverley Paine is a mother of three young adults and a prolific writer of homeschooling articles. More articles and essays can be found in her books, available from the Always Learning Books online bookstore.

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Text & Images on this site
Copyright © 1999-2008
Beverley Paine.
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Pioneering members of the home education movement in Australia, Beverley and Robin Paine are passionate advocates of true educational choice for families. They began homeschooling their children in 1986 and three years later started the South Australian Home Based Learners network. Beverley wrote several books and booklets on home education through her self-publishing business, Always Learning Books, and maintained an extensive collection of websites as well as several Yahoo groups supporting families teaching their children at home. Beverley retired from actively supporting home education in July 2008 to allow her to spend time on her garden and writing projects. She continues to support the Home Education Association of Australia as a committee member. Please note that the opinions and articles included in the suite of Homeschool Australia websites are not necessarily those of Beverley and Robin Paine, nor do we endorse or necessarily recommend products (other than our own) listed in contributed articles, links, pages, or advertisements. |