Guest: Cheree Harvey
Let’s be honest—something’s not working in mainstream education. Despite this show being quite new I’ve already published a couple of interviews probing this subject matter. Notably Classical Education with Jonathan Hili and Kon Bouzikos published in October 2024 and more recently Diagnosing The Educational System with wonderfully erudite Kevin Donnelly published in February 2025. I’m not hiding it, I desperately want to understand how can we improve status quo in education and make better use of mountains of money the state is currently pouring into the system.
Despite record levels of funding, declining student performance has become a global concern. In Australia, literacy and numeracy scores have been falling for over two decades. According to the latest PISA results, Australian 15-year-olds are now years behind their global peers in mathematics, science, and reading. Beyond the numbers, many families are sensing a deeper loss: a disconnect between education and meaning, between learning and character.
The factory-model schooling system—designed for efficiency, not individuality—often leaves little room for wonder, wisdom, or moral development. Increasingly, parents are looking elsewhere. And many are discovering an alternative that’s both ancient and surprisingly relevant: classical education.
Rooted in the Trivium—grammar, logic, and rhetoric—this time-tested model has cultivated thinkers, leaders, and reformers for centuries. But how does it fit into modern, secular Australia? And can it meet the needs of today’s diverse families?
Enter Classical Conversations—a global movement that’s reimagining education by placing parents back at the center. As my guest today, Cheree Harvey, puts it, Classical Conversations is “an organisation that equips and supports parents to homeschool.” It equips through a carefully curated curriculum and guided resources. It supports by training local leaders to build weekly communities—bringing families together to learn, grow, and wrestle with big ideas in a shared space.
In just a few short years, Classical Conversations has taken root across Australia and New Zealand, creating a growing grassroots network of families who want more than just test scores—they want truth, beauty, and purpose.
Today, we’re exploring what makes this model so powerful, and what it takes to run against the grain of a deeply entrenched system. From pedagogy to parent-led learning, from challenges in a secular framework to the real stories of success, we’re diving deep.
And there’s no better guide for this conversation than Cheree Harvey. She’s the Country Coordinator for Classical Conversations in Australia and New Zealand, a passionate educator, and a homeschooling mum who’s lived this journey from the inside out.
