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Educational programs
Developing a curriculumCurriculum development is undertaken by home educators who may choose to include in their programs materials prepared by outside sources.
The Department of Education and Training provides links to a number of useful curriculum sites
The Curriculum FrameworkThe home education program and the child's progress are assessed according to the Curriculum Framework that was established under the Curriculum Council Act 1997. The Curriculum Framework is available on the Curriculum Council website:
www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/internet/Years_K10/Curriculum_Framework/
The Framework consists of an Overarching Statement and eight Learning Area Statements about the knowledge, skills and values essential for the education of students in Western Australia. It establishes the learning outcomes that the student will achieve, rather than prescribing a curriculum.
Implementing the Curriculum FrameworkThe Framework sets out 'the knowledge, understandings, skills, values and attitudes that students are expected to acquire'. These requirements are described as a series of learning outcomes set out in the Overarching Statement and the eight Learning Area Statements. The learning outcomes comprise the mandatory element of the Framework: all education providers in Western Australia must implement them or obtain an exemption. To implement the Framework, education providers must ensure that when they design and develop learning and teaching programs to suit the needs of their students, they include learning opportunities and enriching experiences aimed at achieving the outcomes set out in the Framework. Advice on the following four phases of development is provided in the 'Scope of the Curriculum' section in the Framework's Overarching and Learning Area Statements:
Exemptions from the Curriculum FrameworkIn rare circumstances an education provider may be unable to implement particular learning outcomes set out in the Framework. Exemptions will be considered by the Curriculum Council when education providers can demonstrate that they are unable to engage students in learning opportunities that will enable them to achieve particular outcomes in the Framework for religious, cultural, moral or other similar reasons. Exemptions will not be granted for whole learning areas, only for individual outcomes; nor will exemptions be granted due to lack of resources to provide suitable learning programs at a particular phase of development. The process for considering applications for exemption by the Council is explained on the Council's website:
Applications should be made in writing on the exemption form to the Minister for Education, care of the Chief Executive Officer of the Curriculum Council, available at:
SyllabusK-10 syllabuses are advisory materials to provide support for teachers as they implement the Curriculum Framework. The syllabuses detail content at each year of schooling and phase of development from K – Year 10. Syllabuses are provided for early childhood (K-3), middle childhood (4-7) and each learning area in early adolescence (8-10). Home educators may use these materials as a guide for when to introduce content based on prior learning and achievement.http://k10syllabus.curriculum.wa.edu.au/project_home_view.
National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)From 2008, the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will replace the Western Australian Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (WALNA) for Years 3, 5 and 7 and the Monitoring Standards in Education at Year 9 (MSE9) for the assessment of literacy and numeracy. The national tests assess student achievement in literacy and numeracy in much the same way as they have been done in the past. The main difference is that all students at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in schools across Australia do the same tests on the same days. The NAPLAN tests for 2009 will be held from Tuesday 12 May to Thursday 14 May 2009. NAPLAN information and registration forms will be available at: The Monitoring Standards in Education assessment program (MSE9) program has been renamed the Western Australian Monitoring Standards in Education (WAMSE) assessment program and will continue to be held in week 3 of Term 3 each year. In 2009, the testing week is August 3 – 7. In 2009, the following will be assessed: Information and registration forms will be available at: Home educated students are able to participate in both the NAPLAN and MSE assessments. For details of the NAPLAN assessments, including the registration form: For details of the MSE assessments:
Work experience during home educationHome educators of secondary students who wish to have work experience while studying at home need to make the necessary arrangements (for example, inspection of work sites to ensure suitability for work experience and insurance).
Community Service Program during home educationIn May 2009 the Curriculum Council removed the requirement for students to complete 20 hours community service over Years 10-12 in order to achieve the WA Certificate of Education (WACE). However community service is still encouraged as an opportunity for young people to develop the values, skills and understandings needed to contribute to civic wellbeing. In order to have community service recorded on a student’s statement of results, students must keep a record of their service activities and the number of hours completed.
The Curriculum Council provides a log book (free of charge) for this purpose. Alternatively parents may access the ‘record of service’ page from the Curriculum Council website to enable their child to personalise, enhance or create their own record of service. Order forms for the log book are available on the Curriculum Council website: When students have completed 20 hours of service this can be reported to the Curriculum Council by home educators. The Curriculum Council’s Community Service Guidelines can be found in the WACE manual or can be downloaded from the Curriculum Council website.
AccreditationHome education programs are not graded and therefore students do not receive accreditation. There is no secondary graduation certification ie WA Certificate of Education (WACE). The home educator provides evidence of achievement by the student. The local District Education Office can provide statements confirming registration of the home educator.Information about the Western Australian Certificate of Education can be obtained from the Curriculum Council website: www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/internet/Communications/Publications
Studying at TAFE Colleges and UniversitiesHome educated students may wish to seek entry to TAFE Colleges and universities during or after their home education program. TAFE Colleges accept students into some courses before Year 10. The home educator remains responsible for the student's full program when assessment by DET is being made.Students who are seeking entry to higher education institutions should contact the relevant institution. Contact well in advance of seeking entry is advisable in order to ensure sufficient preparation to qualify for entry. For TAFE entry, contact the Career Centre on telephone 13 23 98 (free call) or email career.developmentcentre@det.wa.edu.au. For local university entry, contact the Tertiary Institutions Services Centre TISCLine on telephone (08) 9318 8000 or email info@tisc.edu.au.
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