Did Covid restrictions affect your ability to meet with other home educators? Did this result in loneliness or social isolation for you or your children? The Queensland government is calling for submissions into social isolation and loneliness in Queensland.
Despite our best efforts in 2020-2021, Minister Grace has been adamant that home educated students do not need an exemption from the movement and gathering order similar to school students. To the best of our knowledge, home educated students were the only group of students excluded from consultation on covid restrictions.
This inquiry is an opportunity to have our voices heard. We are inviting all home educators in Queensland (regardless of HEA membership status) to send us your experiences. We will de-identify and collate these experiences to form a submission outlining the importance of social inclusion, educational equity and consultation.
So that we have time to prepare the submission, please send your stories to heaq@hea.edu.au by 20 July 2021.
Information from the Queensland Legislative Assembly is below for your further information.
Inquiry into social isolation and loneliness in Queensland
On 27 May 2021, the Queensland Legislative Assembly agreed to a motion that the Community Support and Services Committee (Committee) inquire into:
the nature and extent of the impact of social isolation and loneliness in Queensland, including but not limited to:
a. identification of and consultation with vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals or groups at significant risk across the life course
b. the interplay of COVID-19 with this issue
2. the causes and drivers of social isolation and loneliness, including those unique to Queensland
3. the protective factors known to mitigate social isolation and loneliness
4. the benefits of addressing social isolation and loneliness, examples of successful initiatives undertaken nationally and internationally and how to measure social isolation and loneliness in Queensland to determine if implemented strategies are effective
5. how current investment by the Queensland Government, other levels of government, the non-government, corporate and other sectors may be leveraged to prevent, mitigate and address the drivers and impacts of social isolation and loneliness across Queensland, including:
a. services and programs such as health and mental health, transport, housing, education, employment and training, sport and recreation, community services and facilities, digital inclusion, volunteering, the arts and culture, community development, and planning for accessible, inclusive and connected communities
b. targeted support to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups and those most at risk
6. the role, scope and priorities of a state-wide strategy to address social isolation and loneliness, considering interactions with existing Queensland and national strategies.
The Committee is required to report to the Legislative Assembly by Monday 6 December 2021.
Call for submissions
The Committee invites written submissions on the inquiry from interested stakeholders and members of the public. The Committee would appreciate you passing its call for submissions on to anyone you believe might be interested in the inquiry.
The closing date for lodging written submissions is 5:00pm on Wednesday 18 August 2021.
An information sheet which provides guidelines on making a submission can be found here. Please ensure all submissions meet these requirements.
Written submissions should be emailed to CSSC@parliament.qld.gov.au or can be sent to:
Committee Secretary
Community Support and Services Committee
Parliament House
George Street
Brisbane Qld 4000
Other information
Documents relating to the Committee’s inquiry can be found on the inquiry webpage.
The Committee will also hold public hearings following the close of submissions. Details will be provided on the inquiry webpage as they become available.
If you have any questions about this inquiry, please contact the Committee Secretariat on (07) 3553 6623.
Kind regards
Community Support and Services Committee
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