AHE Director’s Report
11 September 2018
In 2017 we celebrated 20 years since AHE was founded. Following last year’s AGM we decided to fund a special outing for AHE members. This resulted in a MOTAT Day which involved 300 people (parents and children included). Parents were also given a free coffee. This was a great day which many people enjoyed, and was a great success. We hope to do something like this again (well before the next major anniversary).
Last year ended with the AHE Art Exhibition which was wonderfully attended (and organised). 70 children entered 90 projects on the theme ‘Myths, Legends and Fairytales’. It was great to see the children develop this theme with creativity, skill and flair.
2018 started with another (free) combined AHE/MOTAT event involving a presentation from NASA engineer Tim Atkins regarding space exploration, and their ‘mission to Mars’. This was held in the amazing Aviation Display Hall at MOTAT, and the children were inspired and excited by NASA’s ‘Mission Impossible’.
Our other regular events have been very well attended this year: Picnic at One Tree Hill Domain and Science Fair (Term 1), History Fair (Term 2), and Cross Country (Term 3). These events have been well-established in the home-schooling calendar and have attracted a large number of families and children from the wider Auckland Region – around 300 children have participated one way or another in an AHE event this year. Two of our entrants also entered the Auckland Regional NIWA Science Fair with Renee Peeters receiving a Highly Commended award.
On-going support has been given to:
families investigating home-education (through our monthly Information Sessions and our Enquiry line)
families needing support with exemptions and MOE issues (via Govt Liaison and Enquiries)
parents via our Parent Forums (advice and encouragement for parents)
children through our workshops for Science Fair and History Fair
Behind the scenes, everyone has worked hard to fulfil their roles and keeping the cogs of the AHE machine going with good humour and unfailing commitment.
Leigh Bradbury-Taylor’s work as Treasurer has been much appreciated, updating the system and making it clearer and simpler to use. We will miss Leigh’s input and thank her for giving her time and energy to this role.
Meg Appleby has ably taken up the role of Membership Secretary. We have appreciated her personalising this role, and we appreciate the skills she’s able to contribute at a committee level.
I would really like to thank all the committee members for their hard work and the important roles they play, often above and beyond their committee role, notably Angela Meyer with the Science Fair, Erin Parkinson with Edible Book Day, and Natalie Donaldson with the History Fair. Marian Lane has also been a judge for Fairs, and Michelle Pepper has regularly stepped in to help with various forums and events.
I would also like to thank Monica Bayldon-Lewis for ably heading up the Art Exhibition team; Irene Burden for running the Cross Country and helping with the Picnic; and Frances Peeters for minute-taking and other behind-the-scenes work. Ross Peeters has also kindly helped us with IT/website issues.
AHE is only as strong as its volunteers. This is an issue for us as an organisation as only so many people have time to give outside the needs of their own family and community, while home-schooling their children. As AHE is a regional organisation, it doesn’t directly serve the local community. It is often therefore (understandably) easier for people to get involved with something more local than regional. It also means it is harder to make connections with new people as the events are sporadic (though regular). AHE needs more active volunteers if it is to thrive in the future, particularly given some committee members are at the end, or nearing the end, of their home-schooling careers.
AHE is committed to running regional events for the wider Auckland community. This helps children and parents to gain a sense of belonging, to realise that they are part of something bigger than their own home and the families they relate to. It helps children gain a sense of identity as home-schoolers, and helps normalise what is not yet a very normal path in the Aotearoa New Zealand education landscape. Not only this, but our events provide our young people opportunities to share their knowledge and skill with the wider community, and help them develop their skills as young learners.
The enduring importance of AHE is its advocacy role and relationship with the MOE. This is often unappreciated or undervalued when everything is ticking along nicely, but when issues arise, which they inevitably do, then AHE’s ability to relate to the Ministry and advocate for people who are experiencing difficulties is very important. The fact that AHE, through the Government Liaison role, is in on-going contact with the Ministry aids this process, making it much easier to deal effectively with issues. We tend to take for granted our freedom to home-educate our children – yet this is a privilege that a number of liberal western democracies still do not allow their citizens!
I’m committed to my role insofar as I am able because I really believe that home-education is a great learning and lifestyle path for my children (and me!), and I want to be part of making this a vibrant and wonderful community in Auckland. We all have our limitations, and I realise that there is much more that I could give and do, but I do not always have the energy or ability to do this.
It’s my sincere wish that there will be others who can see the ‘big picture’ and feel they can contribute to that; as well as others who are happy to volunteer with a specific event or role. AHE is here to serve the whole home-schooling community, and we welcome and encourage anyone to get involved.
Thank you to everyone who has helped or participated in Auckland Home Educators’ (Inc.) in this past year – there have been many of you! It’s been a privilege to work with you, to see your children participate, and to learn alongside each other.
Home is a great place to do life and learning, and let’s hope that together we can encourage each other to this end.
I’ll finish with a Maori proverb I came across recently:
Tangata ako ana i te whare, te turanga ki te marae, tau ana
A person who is taught at home, will stand collected on the Marae.
Siobhan Porter