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The status of our home educated children once they turn sixteen years has been a concern to me for many years. According to the Office of the Board of Studies (OBoS), if the student applies to sit for the Higher School Certificate Exam, the student becomes a "self-tuition candidate", as they are beyond the legal definition of "home schooled child". I have stated many times that our children are still home educated children studying full-time and should have the same status as any child that stays on in a public or private school beyond the age of 15 years. Since 1996, I have been arguing with the Office of the Board of Studies, asking them to change their classification of our children once they turn fifteen years, to no avail.

They say it is beyond the powers of the Education Act??? We feel it is discrimination against students using an alternative educational method and it should be recognised as such.

It now appears that this lack of formal recognition of our students as "full-time home educators" has further ramifications beyond that of not getting student concessions (e.g. museums, concerts, travel etc.) or not being able to obtain reasonable short term insurance for young people who want to do "work experience".

We now have to lobby the Federal Government for recognition of home education as being a bona fide way of student life. Children undertaking full-time studies at home require the same subsidies that any other child in our society pursuing full-time studies would receive. They and their families have a right to Family Allowance payments and/or Youth Allowance.

There are families with children who have turned 16 in Year 10 and have been allowed to continue receiving Family payment until the end of that year. These families have then been notified that they must return all payments received from the 16^th birthday in a lump sum. (Of course, you have the option of advising the Office that you cannot afford to pay in a lump sum and they will arrange for repayment by installments). These families have then gone to the OBoS for support in their claim, in that they have been registered home educators for most (if not all) of their school life. They have received words of assurance, no apparent action and no reversal of the order to repay, as far as we are aware. No official statement has been forthcoming from the OBoS about this situation.

NEWS FLASH: In NSW, one Family has appealed the refusal of Family payment by Centre Link. This Appeal was upheld as seen in the accompanying article. Unfortunately, Centre Link has Appealed this decision and the case is before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The outcome of this action will not be known for several months. The mother will have to represent herself because of lack of funds.