Dear Friends,

Here is some really interesting news for us home educators. It contains opportunities for home educators for next year plus an opportunity to help home educators represent us in Parliament next week!

The Commonwealth Trust in Wellington, in partnership with the Royal Commonwealth Society, puts on an annual “National Student Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for Year 13 students. This year it is being held, as every year, right there in the Legislative Council Chamber of Parliament Buildings in Wellington. The date for this year’s Youth CHOGM is 7 & 8 August 2008, next week!

The promotional material states it is open to all secondary schools. A home schooling mum in Christchurch wondered if home educators could apply and found they could! So even though she was a bit late with the application, two long-time home educated young ladies, Lydia Moore and Emily Peach, both aged 16, have been accepted as delegates!

According to the printed material, “Based on the international Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, this conference gives students the chance to step into the shoes of a commonwealth country’s political leader. It allows them to steer their way through political crises, issue press statements and grapple with some of the key concerns facing today’s Commonwealth countries. Delegations consist of two students in the roles of Head of Government and Foreign Affairs Minister. Each delegation is required to represent an assigned Commonwealth country. Students need to become very conversant with the governance, political and social climate of their assigned country.”

Our two home educators will be assigned to represent one of 26 countries, including Zambia, Belize, Cameroon, Tuvalu, Trinidad and Tobago, The Maldives, Canada, Australia and others. This year’s theme for the meeting is: “The Environment, Our Future.”

Delegates from participating secondary schools are being funded by the schools. These home educators need to fund themselves. One of our home educated girls requires funding support to enable her to fly from Christchurch to Wellington and to pay the hundred dollar cost of attending the conference. We really hope that they will be able to attend, as it is a good opportunity to get exposure for home educators and to show the calibre of our senior students. It will also be the first time home educators have been invited to participate and we hope that in future years this offer will continue to be extended.

If you would like to contribute to a fund being set up by the Home Education Foundation to assist ultimately both these girls to represent home educators at this Youth CHOGM, please send your pledge, no matter how small, immediately to:

Craig & Barbara Smith

Home Education Foundation

craig@hef.org.nz

ph. (06) 357-4399

Thanks a million.

It also appears that the CHOGM meeting needs a couple of youth media people to take photos, videos, etc. You may be able to get in even at this late hour. Contact:

Commonwealth.trust@paradise.net.nz or ph. (04) 473-3222.