Source: courruermail.com.au

BULLYING is now rife in Queensland schools, with more than 70 students suspended every day for assault.

Some attackers are as young as five, an investigation by The Sunday Mail has found.

One in six students has at some stage been a victim, new research shows, putting our school system among the worst for bullying of any country in the developed world.

Graphic content: YouTube school fight video

And the problem is growing, with latest Education Queensland figures revealing a 15 per cent jump in suspensions for "physical misconduct" in just one year.

State Education Minister Rod Welford yesterday admitted anti-bullying campaigns were not working.

He said the Government would have to change its programs to stem the rising level of violence among younger children.

"We need to intervene . . . and early," the minister said.

The evidence that shows school bullies are defying attempts to control them comes as a cluster of school violence videos were posted last week on the internet.

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What always amazes me in recent years with Federal Elections is that the result is usually ‘called’ before the Western Australian polling booths are closed. When I was a teen it would be close on midnight before the election could be ‘called’, but now it’s around 8pm. Nothing is conceded until later in the evening but I’d be frustrated as a WA voter knowing that my vote isn’t going to make a difference as to which party wins government…

There is no doubt that there is a general lack of understanding and knowledge about how our parliamentary system works among all ages. As a home educator I’m proud of the interest and understanding my offspring show in elections and politics. We never ’studied’ the subject in the way that schooled children would (should) have: what our children know derives from general discussions and from their parents taking a close interest during elections. I think it helps that I’ve lobbied for better recognition of home education, sat on legislative review panels, and written letters to politicians on various issues. Most of what they know about how parliament works is from watching the coverage on the television on election night. Robin and I are kept busy answering questions. It’s always been like that, and last night was no exception.

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THOUSANDS of Victorian parents are pulling their children out of schools to educate them at home.
About 10,000 children are being educated this way - and the number is growing fast.

The parents fear their children will be bullied, under-achieve or become bored at traditional schools.

Some children receive strict text book tutelage from their parents, while others are left to learn alone without curriculum and structure.

Critics believe home education lacks the sense of community and the schoolyard’s rough-and-tumble that could teach resilience.

In-house learning: Elsie, 8, Jemimah, 10, Hannah, 14, and Simone, 12, pay strict attention to their teacher, mum Lyn Beattie. The children are part of a home-schooling trend.

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Resource and contacts information, by location and linked by map.

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Once you are there just click on a state for local contacts
and legal information

HBLN
The Home Based Learning Network of W.A.
The Home Based Learning Network was established in 1990 and incorporated in 1994 as a non-profit organization. We provide social contact and support for people involved in home based education, and are a non-party political and non-sectarian organization.

HEA
Home Education Association Inc.
The Home Education Association Inc. (HEA) supports, promotes and encourages the practice of home based education by upholding the principle that parents are primarily responsible for the education of their children. It was formed to promote a broader awareness of home education and its benefits throughout Australia and to promote and encourage the development of home education networks.

HENCAST
Home Education Network Canberra & Southern Tablelands Inc.
a group of home educating families from Canberra, Queanbeyan, Bungendore and the surrounding areas. We hold regular activities for a range of ages, and produce a bi-monthly newsletter, "Homework". (on map)
There are also alternative schools in Canberra.

 Unschool~Kidz
an aussie e-zine celebrating….
…unschooling children sharing life and learning at home and in the community.
Welcome to Unschool~Kidz and our first issue! Unschool~Kidz is truly your magazine, and we appreciate your feedback. We like our subscribers to keep in touch!

SAHEN    New! 17 January 2005
South Australian Home Education Network
The aim of this site is to help keep South Australian home educating families informed of events and activities happening in the metropolitan and regional areas for homeschoolers, and to network and build community. We publish a regularly updated list of events, a contact lists, resource lists, articles of past events and some information on the home education ‘registration’ process in South Australia.

Australian Home Education
Natural Learning
providing a wealth of homeschooling information since 1997. Resources include published articles, calendar of events, news, homeschooling ideas and other information.

Home Education Victoria
Alternative Education Resource Group
aka; Home Education Network
the largest, most vocal alternative education support group in Victoria.
We were started over 20 years ago by a small group of concerned parents wanting alternatives to mainstream education for their children.

‘Free Children’
freeing children from an archaic and educationally irrational schooling system

“(society’s) Entrenched, false beliefs regarding learning and education will not be overcome by the use of spurious titles to display the fact that children who don’t go to school really do learn”

Australian Unschoolers
Are you new to ‘home’ education?
Are you thinking about ‘home’ educating?
This club welcomes ‘home’ educators from all countries but focuses in particular on help with government ‘requirements’ for those living in New South Wales, Australia and on natural learning.

Home schooling is gaining popularity among Perth parents, with new figures revealing an increase of nearly 20 per cent in the number of children being taught at home in the past five years.

Education Department figures show there are 916 children from the metropolitan area registered as home schooled students this year, compared with 771 in 2003. The biggest jump was between 2006 and 2007, with an increase of 92 students.

The number of country school children has dropped slightly in that time, from 642 pupils registered in 2003 to 548 this year.

However, it is possible that the number of home schooled children is even greater, because not all parents register with the department even though they are obliged to.

Australian Home Education Association president Esther Lacoba said there were many reasons why parents chose not to send their children to school, including disillusionment with State and private school systems, bullying problems and a wish to have more influence on their children’s lives.

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