Margot Hardy Gallery

All the way home

An exhibition of art work from the home education community of the
Blue Mountains and Western Sydney.

Home education is a common thread in all our lives. As children we have all learnt alongside those who love and care for us and as parents we teach and learn alongside our children. Families quite naturally fall into this arrangement throughout their years living together albeit with the additional input which formal schooling brings to many.

An increasing number of families worldwide, however, are choosing to formally “home educate”. This is somewhat of a misnomer as much of home education happens out in the wider community but the home is still the central point and parents commit to the role of primary mentor or guide in their child’s learning. In addition they periodically take on the roles of group learning facilitator, online learning support, work experience and social interaction liaison officer and educational field trip scout. A growing number of home education organisations offer both social and learning opportunities for members and a true sense of belonging to a wider homeschool community. It is this blending of home life, community life and education which promotes seamlessness in the integration of life and learning in the homeschooled child today and into their future.

This exhibition is a reflection of that blending in many senses. The artworks show the outcome of both self-directed study and/or more formal tuition. The artists are diverse in age, experience and ability and show a variety of approaches to theme and technique. The collaborative piece was designed to allow for the unique expression of individuals within a group context and was sourced from several distinct home education groups from the Blue Mountains and Western Sydney.

We hope you enjoy this window into our home education community.


Jane Shellshear
Blue Mountains Home Education Network