The Tasmanian Model

During his review of elective home education in this country, Graham Badman floated the idea to a number of home educators of a system rather like that operating in Tasmania since 1993. Few parents found the idea enticing and when he came to write his report, he described it as "A step too far". So what is the "Tasmanian Model"?

Home education in Tasmania is monitored and regulated by a body called the Tasmanian Home Education Advisory Council. This is run by six members. three of them are home educators and three are appointed by the Minister of Education. The THEAC is answerable directly to the Minister and because it was set up and run by home educators themselves it commands a good deal of respect from home educating parents.

It would be interesting to know what objections home educating parents might have to such a body for home educators here. Some were uneasy at the thought of Education Otherwise being regarded as natural partners in such an enterprise. For various reasons, some parents are not over enamoured of EO, seeing it as unrepresentative of home educators. There could well be something to be said for the idea of something like the Tasmanian system and I would be keen to know what others think about it.