Homeschooling was never part of the plan for Townsville mother Lisa Goding.
But when her son Michael began experiencing behavioural "hiccups" during Prep, she decided to pull her two children out of class and trial learning from home instead.
"We just decided to have a six-month journey to see how we'd go with an alternative side of things," Ms Goding said.
"The experience just worked out so well that we haven't looked back since."
That was nearly six years ago, but Ms Goding's experience is becoming increasingly common.
Figures show homeschooling rates have skyrocketed in Australia since the onset of the pandemic, with restrictions giving many families a taste of learning at the kitchen table.
"I think a lot of parents saw that it could be enjoyable and that their children were a lot calmer," Ms Goding said.
Homeschooling surges
In Queensland, homeschool registrations surged from 3,411 in 2019 to 10,048 in 2023.
The most dramatic shift was in secondary school where registrations had increased by more than 260 per cent over the past five years.
There are believed to be thousands more illegally unregistered students who fly under the radar.
Queensland University of Technology education researcher Rebecca English said a range of factors had contributed to the homeschool boom.
"Many [parents] are disaffected with the way schools are being run," she said.
"A lot of them are unhappy with policies and procedures. Many of them are unhappy with the focus on standardised testing.
"There are issues around bullying. There are issues around neurodiversity and the capacity of classroom teachers to cope.
"There's a lot of overlap between homeschooling and the teacher crisis – the capacity to retain and attract quality teachers to our classrooms."
Dr English said disability, school refusal and behavioural issues were also key drivers, along with parents' new-found capacity to work from home.
Most homeschoolers 'accidental'
The majority of homeschoolers, including Lisa Goding and her children, fit into a category Dr English describes as "accidental homeschoolers".
"They are people who never set out to homeschool … but after having experiences in school for their child — maybe one school, maybe multiple schools — they didn't feel like they had a choice," she said.
Approaches to homeschooling vary wildly, from highly structured lesson plans to "unschooling", where children lead their own learning.
A spokesperson for the Queensland Department of Education said parents were required to provide a "high-quality educational program" and must submit a progress report for their child annually.
A review of the state's Education Act is underway, which will consider a potential crackdown on homeschool requirements for the growing student cohort.
But Dr English said more regulation risked further disenfranchising families and could lead to a rise in unregistered students.
Big sacrifices required
The decision to homeschool comes at a cost.
Dr English said the burden fell disproportionately on mothers.
"She has to give up her time to find resources, develop a program, write teaching materials … she's also got to do the report [on her child's educational progress]," Dr English said.
"If she drops back, say to part-time work, or drops out of work all together for a time, this can have a huge impact on the family's finances both now and in the longer term, particularly around superannuation and the ability to save."
A 2022 report found one in five parents homeschooling in Queensland had teaching qualifications, suggesting some educators were leaving the profession to teach their own kids.
For Lisa Goding, the benefits of homeschooling outweigh the challenges.
"I've had to obviously sacrifice a career, however, I totally think it's worth it," she said.
"Some children just need extra help, and their parents are willing to do that for them.
"I think as people are having good experiences, it will continue to grow."