How do I go about homeschooling my son?

Question

I live in Victoria,Australia and I'm considering homeschooling my son due to behavioural problems at school and not doing his work.He is 12 years old and at his first year at high school This is a last resort as i have 4 other younger kids to deal with.

Answer 1

phone ur local education department and they will help u.

Answer 2

Here's some information from HSLDA about homeschooling in Australia.  Perhaps that will help you with the legal end of things.

As far as the actual teaching part, you are going to have your work cut out for you if your son has behavior problems.  I think it would be a good idea to start with a little deschooling.  During this time, focus on building relationship with your son, setting firm limits to improve help his behavior, and getting him involved in his interests.

Then begin homeschooling.  There are many different ways to homeschool.  Here's a description of the different methods:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Many high school students like traditional textbook or online programs.  Here are descriptions of each along with a list of popular providers.

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Good luck!

Answer 3

Wow.  You do have your work cut out for you.  I'm sorry I can't give you any details about Australia.  Every province, state, etc has it's own guidelines.   You have to be registered/enrolled with  some kind of school board somewhere in your country.   I live in Canada and every province has slightly different rules.  

even in one area we have a choice of different boards to choose from, they usually have access to government funding that they dole out to you-the more you get, the more you have to adhere to their rules.  They also offer assistance with learning and opportunities for activities.  Some places you get nothing-no money, no help and that is good for some too.

    And then there is the curriculum.  Sometimes your board is tied into the local school and they tell you what to do, when to do it, and then tell you if you have done a good job.

     Speaking of curriculum.  There is literally scads of materials that you can use.  Some is quite religion based and is not for everybody either.  Some people just buy "school in a box" and just fill in the blanks and follow directions, others do it online, some make up their own curriculum.  An exciting way of learning that some use is called "unschooling".  That means to provide an enriched environment for your child and let his interests lead his learning.  It brings out the joy of learning and makes it relevant.   You do not  grind useless facts into his head, you open his mind and let knowledge and learning flow in.  

    Basically you must decide your child's needs, his learning style and check your budget.

    Often when pulling kids out of school parents like  to "deprogram" them (and the parents also.) Some like to change their whole mindset of what school really IS.   What  education really MEANS.

     It is hard to break the mindset of school.  Many homeschoolers start out trying to follow the pattern and then throw the whole thing out the window as totally irrelevant to their needs.

    Don't be too hard on your son.  Public school can sometimes destroy kids, it is not for everyone.   You care about him.  He is still young and you have time to help him realize that he is a valuable person.  His acting out and failure to do his work have probably been the only means he has of signaling his desperation with his life in the school system.   Don't think of it as a "last resort" ; it is an exciting opportunity to help your son.