Why these parents left mainstream schools, and what it says about the system
Brisbane mother Kristy Lee tried four different schools before deciding to homeschool her autistic daughter.
“It has been announced that there is a lot of support in schools now [for neurodivergent kids] “Compared to when I was going to school,” she says, “so I thought there would be a lot of support and understanding.”
Despite the efforts of many “wonderful” teachers, Lee says her daughter is falling behind. When he began to be bullied and his mental health deteriorated, the school was “plugged”.
“I was literally dragging her out of the house screaming like blue murder just so I could go to school,” Lee says. “[When she became] scaring me enough to drive me to suicide… ‘What is wrong with the system that makes him feel this way?’”
Lee is part of a growing group of Queensland parents turning to homeschooling because mainstream schools are failing to meet their children’s neurodevelopmental or learning needs.
As of August of last year, 11,800 children statewide were enrolled in homeschooling; This reflects a 110 percent increase in primary school children and a 167 percent increase in secondary education from 2021 to 2025.
A. questionnaire A 2022 study by the Queensland Department of Education found that the main reason families choose homeschooling is its ability to provide children with a better learning environment.
Two-thirds (61 percent) said they had taught a child with a disability or health condition, and almost half had been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
A survey last year by home education provider Euka Future Learning found that the main reason respondents in Queensland homeschooled was bullying or social difficulties (25.6 per cent), followed by academic reasons (20.2 per cent) and learning differences or additional needs (12.8 per cent).
Brisbane mother Sandy Whiteman said her daughter started showing signs of anxiety and resistance to school in Grade 1. By 2nd grade, he was being bullied and seemingly refused to go to school.
His son, who was in the preparatory class at the time, also had problems with school.
“The situation was getting difficult, and then we realized it wasn’t just the particular environments that were the problem, it was the broader structure and pace of general education,” says Whiteman.
“After months of observation, stress, and trying solutions, I reached a point where staying in school was more harmful than dropping out.”
After leaving mainstream school, Whiteman’s children were diagnosed with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder (SPD) and pathological demand avoidance (PDA).
“My daughter was also diagnosed with severe anxiety and my son was diagnosed with aggression,” she says.
Lee’s daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects physical coordination and motor skills, about six months after she began homeschooling.
But both parents say their children’s learning has improved since leaving mainstream school.
“For neurodivergent children, repeated social stress is not only distressing, but can also be extremely disruptive to emotional regulation and learning,” says Whiteman.
“[In home school] we are improving [and] We learn much better.
“Their sensory regulation is met. They’re emotionally active and they don’t feel depleted. They don’t feel a lot of pressure.”
Lee says her daughter is still behind the age classification, but she can now read and write, “where she couldn’t before.”
Free2Homeschool founder Patricia Fitzgerald, who launched a campaign against the Queensland government proposal to force families to teach Australian curriculumWhile acceptance of homeschooling is growing, many say they don’t realize that families are leaving the mainstream because schools are failing to meet their children’s diverse learning needs.
“Instead of using curriculum and accommodations, we keep the action child-centered,” he says.
“This means more flexibility so we can meet kids where they are…so we can provide that learning in a way that is more valuable and more relatable to kids.”
An estimated 2 children in every classroom have ADHD, and approximately 4.3 percent 50 percent of children between the ages of five and 14 have autism.
A. report A report published last year by the Queensland Family and Children’s Commission said “mainstream teaching often relies on methods that do not meet the needs of students who learn and process information differently”.
The same report found that most schools take only minimal steps to address specific accommodations for autistic students, and only 16 percent of parents or caregivers said their child’s school provides educators with professional development on autism.
Nearly all parents believed that school staff needed additional training to better understand ADHD.
A Department for Education spokesperson said “all Queensland state schools are provided with additional resources and support for students with disabilities, with the use of resources recognizing all forms of disability, including autism and ADHD.”
“The department is also making available a range of specialist staff, including therapists, consultant visiting teachers, lead consultants on autism and inclusion, and public school registered nurses.”
Lee and Whiteman say their attempts to access additional support for their children were not successful, and as a result they will be completing their schooling from home.
“I was pressured by his therapist and former NDIS coordinator to send him back to school, so we tried for the fifth time,” says Lee.
“The school was great, they would help as much as they could but they could only do so much.
“[Teachers] “They are faced with a system where there are too many students in the classroom… and they do not have the facilities to teach each child individually the way that child learns.”
“Even if I send my kids back to school, they will miss the opportunity to learn,” Whiteman says.
“These kids need one-on-one support, and there are 25 kids in one school system.”
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