LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

ESTIMATES COMMITTEE B

Wednesday 20 June 2007

MEMBERS
Mr Hall (Chair)
Mr Harriss
Mr Martin
Mr Wilkinson
Ms Forrest

SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS
IN ATTENDANCE

Hon. David Bartlett , Minister for Education
Department of Education

DIVISION 2
(Department of Education

SUPPORT FOR HOME EDUCATORS

Mr FINCH - Minister, will you explore that funding a bit more - you may have answered the question but I would like to nail it - in respect of the support that goes to home educators, is there any support to families that want to do that?

Mr BARTLETT - Yes, through the council that we fund and through in-kind support as well. It is a council that I know provides services and support and so on through to the parents that are their members and, as I say, we fund them to the tune of about $140 000 a year.

Mr FINCH - Is that financial support, Minister –

Mr BARTLETT - I might David Hanlon to flesh out more of the details.

Mr HANLON - There is no direct financial contribution to home educated parents, no. The money, as the Minister has suggested, is for the Home Education Advisory Council to carry out its functions which include, importantly, verifying the quality of home education. Where the council has a home education proposal before it, it doesn't simply acknowledge the proposal and allow it to go ahead, it does some inquiry into the capacity of the parent to provide the education. But that is their role, and this is what we are paying them.

Mr FINCH - Thank you.

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