Imagine sending your child to school, believing they're getting a quality education, only to discover it's all a sham. That's the shocking reality for some families in Victoria, where nearly two dozen illegal schools have been exposed and shut down in a recent crackdown. These aren't just minor oversights; we're talking about serious concerns regarding unqualified teachers and potential risks to child safety.
A state government investigation led by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) has unearthed a concerning number of unregistered educational operations. In the 2024-25 financial year alone, the VRQA received over two dozen complaints, leading to the identification of 23 entities potentially operating as illegal schools. And this is the part most people miss: the VRQA only started systematically collecting and publishing data on illegal schools in 2024-25, suggesting this issue might have been brewing for much longer undetected.
While the VRQA is keeping specific details close to the vest to protect ongoing investigations (location, identity of these illegal schools, etc.), they have revealed that these unregistered entities operate in various ways. Some masquerade as legitimate home-schooling programs but are actually run for profit. Others offer unauthorized education to children both in physical classrooms and online, reaching a wide net of unsuspecting families.
But here's where it gets controversial... The rise of these illegal schools has been fueled, in part, by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Home Education Association of Australia, some unregistered schools have emerged because they cater to vaccine-skeptic parents and are run by teachers who refused to get vaccinated. Is this a legitimate avenue for parents seeking alternative education, or a dangerous trend that compromises children's health and safety?
Janelle Barnes, vice president of the Home Education Association of Australia, highlights that these illegal schools are a national issue that has spiked since 2020. She notes that some teachers, displaced or unwilling to get vaccinated during the pandemic, saw an opportunity to replace their salaries by tutoring homeschooled kids, effectively creating "pop-up" schools. These programs are often discovered through social media, making them difficult for authorities to track down. Even more alarming, Barnes warns that some individuals running these programs "are actually a risk to children." She recounts a case where a teacher, acting as a tutor, had previously been struck off the teachers’ register for inappropriate behavior.
The challenge for families is understanding the difference between legitimate homeschooling resources and these for-profit, potentially harmful operations. Homeschool families in Victoria must register with the VRQA, but they can participate in homeschool co-operatives, where some classes are taught collaboratively. The problem arises when unregistered schools try to blur the lines, presenting themselves as both a school and a co-op.
Researcher and teacher Dr. Rebecca English emphasizes that the issue isn't confined to Victoria, with illegal or unregistered schools also growing in New South Wales and Queensland. She worries that parents might unknowingly be sending their children to an illicit school or program, potentially facing penalties for non-compliance with regulations they simply don't understand.
Adding to the concerns is the possibility that these unlawful programs might not meet the required educational standards. Parents might believe their child is working toward a recognized high school certification (like an ATAR), when in reality, they aren't. Furthermore, children in these programs could be studying subjects that won't count towards a legitimate high school diploma. This is especially concerning given the growing number of parents seeking alternative education because mainstream schooling isn't working for their children socially, academically, or otherwise.
The VRQA's workload reflects this growing concern. In the 2024-25 financial year, they received 189 complaints about schools, compared to 129 in the previous year. Changes to education laws this year have increased the VRQA's power to investigate potentially unregistered providers, with significantly increased penalties for operating an unregistered school.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll urges anyone with concerns to contact the VRQA or use the state register to verify a school's registration status. He underscores that "Child safety and a high-quality education are at the core of Victoria’s regulatory framework, which is why we take allegations of unregistered schools extremely seriously."
So, what do you think? Is the government doing enough to protect children from these illegal schools? Should parents bear more responsibility for vetting educational programs? Or is there a deeper issue at play – a growing dissatisfaction with mainstream education that's driving families to seek alternatives, even if it means taking risks? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
