In this session with ACARA, I wanted to get some straight answers on why so many Australian families are walking away from the mainstream school system.
One Nation has always stood for parental choice, so I asked them: is the new “Version 9” curriculum so complicated and full of the wrong priorities that parents are losing faith? To my surprise, ACARA admitted they aren’t even looking into it. They aren’t doing any research into why families are leaving or how the curriculum might be at fault.
ACARA writes the national plan, yet the states have the “sovereign right” to chop it up and change it. When the implementation becomes a burden for parents and teachers, ACARA basically washes their hands of it and says it’s a state problem.
I also wanted to make sure there wasn’t a “crackdown” coming for parents who chose to home-school their children. I got a direct “no” on that. They aren’t pushing for more audits or extra red tape, mainly because they don’t have the power to.
It’s clear to me that while the ideas start in Canberra, the real pressure on our families is coming from the states. You deserve an education system that works for your family, not one that ignores your concerns.
— Senate Estimates | December 2025
Transcript
Senator ROBERTS: Thank you for being here again today. ACARA is responsible for a national curriculum intended to be taught to all young Australians. How does ACARA account for a growing shift away from mainstream schooling towards homeschooling? Does ACARA accept that implementation burdens and content choices in version 9 of the curriculum are contributing to a loss of faith in the school sector’s ability to teach our children? We know that the COVID mandates—the lockdowns and so on—drove a lot of parents to take their kids out of school. I understand that, but please tell me any impact from version 9.
Mr Gniel: Version 9 is currently being implemented through the jurisdictions, through their own implementation plans. As you know, ACARA doesn’t have any role in terms of monitoring the actual implementation of the curriculum; that’s not part of our remit.
Senator ROBERTS: Is it left to the states?
Mr Gniel: Correct.
Senator ROBERTS: Do the states have choice as to how much of the national curriculum they implement?
Mr Gniel: All ministers approved the Australian national curriculum, but they approved it with their sovereign right to adopt and adapt for their own communities, where that’s required. It’s important—and this goes to Senator Sharma’s points before—that we have in the Australian Curriculum an agreement about what we see as the most important parts for our children to understand, but there is that flexibility at the jurisdiction level.
Senator ROBERTS: Is ACARA currently conducting or commissioning research on homeschooling trends, motivations and outcomes, especially the relationship between curriculum engagement and school withdrawal?
Mr Gniel: No.
Senator ROBERTS: Why not?
Mr Gniel: We don’t have any jurisdiction over homeschooling. The Australian Curriculum that is signed off is for all children. As I said before, the implementation is at the state and territory level. I would expect they are doing some of that because, as you mentioned—and I’m aware of it too—there have been some increases in homeschooling, so it’s an important area to be considering.
Senator ROBERTS: I thought you might have got some indirect analysis.
Mr Gniel: No, we don’t at this stage. We would expect that to come through the feedback from the jurisdictions, though, as we ask about what we can do to improve the curriculum. All those resources that are provided to homeschooling parents are provided at the state and territory level.
Senator ROBERTS: I know that remote schooling, homeschooling and broadcasting over the air have got very high standards and a fair bit of flexibility.
Mr Gniel: You’re right, and some of that’s been around for a long time.
Senator ROBERTS: It’s good, solid stuff. You used the words ‘at this stage’. One Nation fully supports parental choice. Can ACARA confirm it’s not proposing to crack down on homeschooling?
Mr Gniel: ACARA has no role within homeschooling.
Senator ROBERTS: You’re not going to—
Mr Gniel: The short answer is no.
Senator ROBERTS: Has ACARA provided advice to ministers or jurisdictions advocating increased regulation or compliance audits for homeschooling families?
Mr Gniel: No.
Senator ROBERTS: What’s ACARA’s view on the appropriate balance between parental choice and national standards?
Mr Gniel: We don’t have a view on that. We—
Senator ROBERTS: Left to the states, is it? You just leave it to the states?
Mr Gniel: Sorry, I’ll just finish what I was going to say.
Senator ROBERTS: Sorry.
Mr Gniel: Can you repeat the question?
Senator ROBERTS: Could you state ACARA’s view on the appropriate balance between parental choice and national standards?
Mr Gniel: No; we don’t have a view.
Senator ROBERTS: What steps has ACARA taken to ensure that the Australian Curriculum version 9 is usable by home-educating families. For example, do you provide guidance, exemplars and flexible learning sequences so that families are not driven away by perceived complexity, so they can have full and informed choice?
Mr Gniel: The Australian Curriculum and all the supporting materials are freely available to all Australians.
Senator ROBERTS: Do you have any guides or supporting materials for parents?
Mr Gniel: At that level, that would be something the jurisdictions would—
Senator ROBERTS: The states; okay. Thank you. I appreciate your direct answers.
