52407 (2024). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education

52407 (2024). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Minister of Education: In response to Reply 39605, how many, if any, of the 516 home-educating families that had not returned a Statutory Declaration for the 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2023 period as at 16 July 2024, have since returned a Statutory Declaration for the 1 July 2023 - 31 December 2023 and/or the 1 January 2024 - 30 June 2024 period?

Hon Erica Stanford: I am advised by the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) that of those 516 home-educating families, 25 have returned their Statutory Declaration for the 1 July to 31 December 2023 period and eight families have ceased their home education in this period. For the 1 January to 31 July 2024 period, 150 families returned their Statutory Declaration and eight families ceased their home education. Under the Education and Training Act 2020 section 38, families who hold a current exemption to home educate their children have no legal obligation to return the Statutory Declaration to the Ministry.