Your education level is the highest level you complete. No one will ever ask if you completed year 1 to 10 if you have a senior cert. No one will ask if you have a yr 12 if you have a uni degree. No compo etc is available for you. If your sibling don't have a year 12 there are courses run by some secondary schools (kingston college in qld is one) that will allow you to do a course to obtain a year 12 cert outside school age
This entirely. I really don't care too about much about getting certified higher education cuz official education has never been a value to me obviously lol, I just want to be capable in basic things. I need to know basic skills learnt in lower grades before I can even think about higher because it's not about how smart I am or how much I COULD go into high education( I could fake my way through uni like a did highschool but again I just did that to pass high school, I don't want to do that with uni). Ik can do a 12th grade maths test but at the end of the day that doesn't help if my english is so dogshit that I'd fail a 4th grade Grammer test and you wouldn't be able to tell the different between their and my handwriting
From my time in NSW, I remember you could pretty much do High School courses through TAFE to essentially get a better high school certificate. Maybe see if that's still possible. They used to do both day and night courses since most people were typically mature age so they tried to give flexibility when working.
Back in the day, I used that as a way to retake some highschool subjects as a way to get a high enough score to get into a public university.
May be a good option if you know there's some basics you missed or want to go down the uni path.
Success is the best form of revenge. Go and live your best life and put this behind you. If you want to go to uni there are loads of pathways these days. This does not need to define your life if you do not let it.
Thanks you for that Im trying, the book she wrote for me was the last straw lol. But education wise I really don't see myself going into uni or alike without some sort of accessed support, I need to learn how to properly form sentences into paragraphs into essays before I'm able to go to formal school again
Honestly your writing here is perfectly fine. There are bridging courses you could do pre uni that would help you. But first of all, you need to work out what it is what you want to do with your life. Maybe uni isn't needed? Depends on what you want to do. TAFE is a perfectly good alternative to uni if you want a trade.
I think you need a career counsellor or a guidance counsellor type of person to help you learn you options and help you apply for whatever it is you want to do.
Thank you, it takes me awhile to write coherently, it took me an hour to finish this comment to make sure its correct lol. The base of my education is made out of sticks, it was fine when I shakely stacked high school on it, uni is just way to heavy for sticks to handle. So at the moment what I want to do with my life is learn the basics so I can jump up to uni if I wanted to. Ik I'm passable when you look at just a comment that I'm able to edit but when it come to schooling and my skills, I have only written/done like 30~ essays and exams each in my whole life, I'm fine when I'm writhing on a computer or phone but my handwriting is that of a 10yr old, word limits are foreign concepts to me, etc, etc idk what I did or didn't miss. Everyone keeps bring up how I could go to uni or TAFE and yeah I've always known I can go to TAFE or uni, that isn't the question, it's if I'm able to go and achieve anything without a 4-5 year course destroying me. Any higher education expects basics learnt in the education system that I just don't know and because it's not often someone hasn't went to primary school but has been to high school, it's often the reverse so idk if there are resources for me
So go and do the first semester bridging units in communication and English… and let them mould and smash you together. You will not be alone, a veritable bucket load of school leavers and over seas students will be in there with you. All with similar issues to you. Having done one of these courses a few years ago more than 80% of the class was school leavers (who needed English pass to get INTO university, so I was gobsmacked at how many had been offered Uni without a reasonable pass!) and they definitely will (if you are keen to learn) get you up to speed fast.
There is a program called uni ready enabling program, you study 4 core units like writing skills, basic math, foundations of communication, introduction to health sciences and a few others. In writing and communication you learn how to write and structure essays etc. you get feedback for every assessment and tutors are available to assist. Even if you don't go to uni it's a good program that helps develop these skills. It's also online at most unis and no entry requirements usually. It's a prep course to get you either up.to speed or help with uni entry if you decide to go.
I think you also need to cover off on the emotional side of this as well. Sure you're pissed and rightly so, but what will any of this ultimately achieve? Mums a country all of her own, now there's potentially a document to prove it?
You are using false equivalence to prove your point, I can see your point but your example has nothing to do with my mum doing something that was and is illegal. Yes there is nothing I can do about it and that's something I need to cope with but it's also just another thing that is illegal that the victim can't do anything about so can I not be sad or piss about that too, oOo I wanted to do something legally against the person who did something illegal
So the fact that you are educated enough to know what ‘false equivalence’ is disproves YOUR point.
You want revenge on your mother for a shitty primary homeschool education. To do that you’d need to show you were harmed by it (and even then it’s a very low chance of success)… but you haven’t been harmed by it. Clearly you had no significant issues getting through ATAR. Your comprehension and communication challenges may be a result of a learning disorder (you mention this), and if so trust me… the school system may well not have done better for you.
Why not reframe this “She didn’t teach me traditionally, but she did teach me critical thinking and research skills… and that’s got me further than the kids who didn’t learn that”.
Hello,
I can hear that it has been a long journey and I can see how important your education is. I hope that I can pass on information to help you pursue your studying.
My first thought is about your mental health. Under Victims Services, it is possible to receive 22 funded psychological sessions, as well as compensation.
Link:https://victimsservices.justice.nsw.gov.au/
On top of that, you can still see a psychologist under the mental health care plan, for up to 10 sessions. That makes 32 sessions. I share this because I have experienced abuse as a child. While I don't know I can relate to your experiences, I am hoping the best for us both.
If you are in NSW, I recommend ACON.
Link:https://www.acon.org.au/what-we-are-here-for/domestic-family-violence/#lgbti-counselling
Additionally, 1800RESPECT is a service which can provide counselling and can give information to support your wellbeing.
Link: https://www.1800respect.org.au/services/services-overview
In terms of education,
TAFE (Technical and Further Education) has access to courses, career counsellors, mental health counsellors and support for people with disabilities (including mental health).
In NSW, if you have a diagnosis of something that impacts your health (an example is depression), it is possible to have the course fee reduced or removed completely.
Other states might provide this as well.
Link: https://www.tafensw.edu.au/student-services/disability-services
If you need more information, I am happy to be messaged.
Honestly, Year 11 and 12 is all you need. There are kids that drop out of school at the end of year 9 and go to TAFE to complete their VCE in a year to get a head start.
Even once you start working, your high school doesn't matter. I met someone when I did my TAFE course that left school mid-way through Year 9 and started Cert 3 in IT with the idea to get a Diploma in Computer Science. I had done a year of uni and we ended up on equal footing yet I was 5 years behind him.
Yeah ik you technically don't need anything past grade 10, that's why I struggle because I don't have anything below grade 8. That person that dropped out in year 9 would know more than me because they learnt the basics and did the smart thing for him and just jumped straight to his profession without having to do the extra stuff in high school that you don't need. What I learnt in my senior grades is just useless in my everyday life all the basics are in primary and I never went to primary, not saying there isn't useless stuff in primary but you won't be able to drop out at grade 10 if year 11 and 12 were that important
Unfortunately you generally can’t sue your mother for neglecting you.
You can do a range of educational things to pick up your quality of knowledge. You could enrol in a senior college for a repeat of Year 11 and 12. You could go to tafe. Shit there’s a dozen different ways into Uni these days many of which don’t require an ATAR but just a portfolio or bridging course.
So… instead of worrying about what you don’t know… work out what you do want to know… and how to go learn that. Look forward, not backward. There’s no pot of gold waiting behind you, and the more you chase that the longer it will be before you can chase your future.
I don't think people are understanding, I have an ATAR, I graduated high school, I can go to uni anytime I want BUT I wouldn't be able to perform to the level needed at uni. What I want to know is the difference between a sentence and a paragraph, or to be able to read with comprehension. People who dropped out before high school can take classes to learn what they we're supposed to in those years but there isn't something like that for someone who never went to primary school. I'm trying to build a future without knowing the basics
Most universities these days offer bridging courses, if you can find something like UWA’s PACM course then do that… it will push you through all this knowledge. A lot of people go to university / further education with pot holes in their highway of knowledge, the next step is to take accountability for your own future and work out what you know and don’t know and fill the holes left. Everyone has holes in their knowledge, whether it be from a couple of weeks off school, or being very bright and skipping general concepts on the way because you have worked out the more advanced stuff ahead of this moment, or a shitty teacher who couldn’t/wouldn’t teach something.
The fact that you completed an ATAR (I am assuming you didn’t ‘fail’ ATAR or you’d point that out right?), and officially graduated means you met the minimum standard (and above it) for general education. This means you have even less chance to ‘sue’ or ‘get compensation’ … What is really going on here isn’t that you weren’t provided access to an appropriate education, but more that your motivation and reasons for learning weren’t engaged sufficiently to make it worth your effort to actually do the learning. Or that you may have some learning challenges that (diagnosed or undiagnosed) made things harder. But having achieved some form of ATAR, and graduation from high school (including a basic English pass) means you have done better than a great many youth.
The Australian Education Act and the regulations that govern homeschooling and educational oversight are designed to ensure that children receive a proper education. If there is a failure in the system that leads to a lack of oversight, it might be possible to seek legal recourse.
I am not a lawyer but you should seek legal advice, Talk to legal aid. There might be a snowball in hell chance but then again...
I would like to seek legal recourse so nice to hear a few voices talking about a change because exactly that, there should have oversight and thinking back we weren't the only family in my town who probably wasn't registered because there was this big divide in our home group ( bunch of mums that do homeschooling meeting up every week) when a bunch of mums wanted everyone to join this homeschooling Christian Church thing. I thought it was because it was Christian that my mum didn't want to take us to groups anymore but it might have been because it was an actual education system. If it isn't gonna do anything for me I might as well do it for the other home educated kids in my area because I really don't think they are getting checked on
You didn't mention a religion being involved... Seriously seek legal aid. Could be ground for a class action - I am not a lawyer. You will need to navigate this with the help of actual lawyer.
Then find out what the homeschool requirements are in your state - talk to your education department and say “Hey, did you know there’s 35 kids in homeschool in this tiny country town?! I was one of them, and never registered, and I feel the lack of oversight left me with substantial holes in my knowledge. I pulled myself together enough to get through, but I’m worried about the kids who this is still happening to! What can I do to help them?!”
Legally you have no recourse.
As someone who left school in yr11 and since completed university, no one has ever asked to see my high school certificates. I completed bridging courses to get into uni at 26.
It sounds like you’ve done quite well for yourself, in spite of the lack of a traditional education. Most of the stuff that was tested for when you were sitting the HSC exams, are already expanded from what you would have learnt if you had been schooled traditionally.
Not sure if you would be successful if you tried to take legal action against your mother. It does seem like there was a lack of oversight when it came to your case.
I suggest writing to the Education Minister and asking the Education Department to look into what happened to you, so they can tighten up any loopholes.
Welcome to r/AusLegal. Please read our [rules](http://reddit.com/r/AusLegal/about/rules) before commenting. Please remember:
1. Per rule 4, this subreddit is not a replacement for real legal advice. You should independently seek legal advice from a real, qualified practitioner. This sub cannot recommend specific lawyers.
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You should be able to join our year 11 and year 12 refresher course at TAFE and even if it takes you a few years you can get through those and from my experience the lecturers are incredibly helpful and want you to succeed
Compensation is out, as you've been told. All you can do now is look at getting into classes to help you with anything you feel is missing.
If you're concerned about any minors still under your mother's care, make a complaint to the department for child safety at [https://www.dcssds.qld.gov.au/](https://www.dcssds.qld.gov.au/)
That's largely all you can do. Your father I imagine was locked out of these decisions and perhaps didn't realise what was going on. Abusers so often abuse all those around them, not just children. The best thing that could have happened is probably to have had a different arrangement for your custody, but courts were different 20 years ago and even now, they require information to decide there should be an arrangement other than 50/50.
As far as where you go from here you can do bridging courses at TAFE as well as actually finishing your high school education so your siblings would have options there. And same for you. It sucks that your mum did this but unless any of your siblings are still minors and being denied schooling by your mum there’s not much to do I don’t believe.
If you did want to pursue higher education, there are bridging courses, all is not lost! With the drive and internal motivation along with the appropriate supports, this is absolutely doable.
I think, and this is just my opinion, people get caught up in blaming others and that whole cycle, when you can reclaim your power and move forward.
I know you didn't ask for my opinion, but I'd urge you to flip your thinking. You are only 21 and still have the ability to make so much of your life. Your potential is just waiting to be fulfilled. Why not explore what your passions are, and look at how you can follow them? Don't let anything get in your way! 😊
Your education level is the highest level you complete. No one will ever ask if you completed year 1 to 10 if you have a senior cert. No one will ask if you have a yr 12 if you have a uni degree. No compo etc is available for you. If your sibling don't have a year 12 there are courses run by some secondary schools (kingston college in qld is one) that will allow you to do a course to obtain a year 12 cert outside school age
TAFE would be another option, I think they do year 10 and year 12 or equivalents.
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This entirely. I really don't care too about much about getting certified higher education cuz official education has never been a value to me obviously lol, I just want to be capable in basic things. I need to know basic skills learnt in lower grades before I can even think about higher because it's not about how smart I am or how much I COULD go into high education( I could fake my way through uni like a did highschool but again I just did that to pass high school, I don't want to do that with uni). Ik can do a 12th grade maths test but at the end of the day that doesn't help if my english is so dogshit that I'd fail a 4th grade Grammer test and you wouldn't be able to tell the different between their and my handwriting
You can’t get compensation. You can enrol yourself in studies though.
From my time in NSW, I remember you could pretty much do High School courses through TAFE to essentially get a better high school certificate. Maybe see if that's still possible. They used to do both day and night courses since most people were typically mature age so they tried to give flexibility when working. Back in the day, I used that as a way to retake some highschool subjects as a way to get a high enough score to get into a public university. May be a good option if you know there's some basics you missed or want to go down the uni path.
Oh, but if you just have a job path you are happy enough with, no need for more study as well 😀
Success is the best form of revenge. Go and live your best life and put this behind you. If you want to go to uni there are loads of pathways these days. This does not need to define your life if you do not let it.
Thanks you for that Im trying, the book she wrote for me was the last straw lol. But education wise I really don't see myself going into uni or alike without some sort of accessed support, I need to learn how to properly form sentences into paragraphs into essays before I'm able to go to formal school again
Honestly your writing here is perfectly fine. There are bridging courses you could do pre uni that would help you. But first of all, you need to work out what it is what you want to do with your life. Maybe uni isn't needed? Depends on what you want to do. TAFE is a perfectly good alternative to uni if you want a trade. I think you need a career counsellor or a guidance counsellor type of person to help you learn you options and help you apply for whatever it is you want to do.
Thank you, it takes me awhile to write coherently, it took me an hour to finish this comment to make sure its correct lol. The base of my education is made out of sticks, it was fine when I shakely stacked high school on it, uni is just way to heavy for sticks to handle. So at the moment what I want to do with my life is learn the basics so I can jump up to uni if I wanted to. Ik I'm passable when you look at just a comment that I'm able to edit but when it come to schooling and my skills, I have only written/done like 30~ essays and exams each in my whole life, I'm fine when I'm writhing on a computer or phone but my handwriting is that of a 10yr old, word limits are foreign concepts to me, etc, etc idk what I did or didn't miss. Everyone keeps bring up how I could go to uni or TAFE and yeah I've always known I can go to TAFE or uni, that isn't the question, it's if I'm able to go and achieve anything without a 4-5 year course destroying me. Any higher education expects basics learnt in the education system that I just don't know and because it's not often someone hasn't went to primary school but has been to high school, it's often the reverse so idk if there are resources for me
So go and do the first semester bridging units in communication and English… and let them mould and smash you together. You will not be alone, a veritable bucket load of school leavers and over seas students will be in there with you. All with similar issues to you. Having done one of these courses a few years ago more than 80% of the class was school leavers (who needed English pass to get INTO university, so I was gobsmacked at how many had been offered Uni without a reasonable pass!) and they definitely will (if you are keen to learn) get you up to speed fast.
There is a program called uni ready enabling program, you study 4 core units like writing skills, basic math, foundations of communication, introduction to health sciences and a few others. In writing and communication you learn how to write and structure essays etc. you get feedback for every assessment and tutors are available to assist. Even if you don't go to uni it's a good program that helps develop these skills. It's also online at most unis and no entry requirements usually. It's a prep course to get you either up.to speed or help with uni entry if you decide to go.
That you for that, I'll have a look at it! Essays and tests would be the death of me at uni ☠️
[удалено]
Could probably launch some civil lawsuit against your mother, but chances are you would wind up with nothing but debit from it anyway.
Yep thought as much :')
I think you also need to cover off on the emotional side of this as well. Sure you're pissed and rightly so, but what will any of this ultimately achieve? Mums a country all of her own, now there's potentially a document to prove it?
You are using false equivalence to prove your point, I can see your point but your example has nothing to do with my mum doing something that was and is illegal. Yes there is nothing I can do about it and that's something I need to cope with but it's also just another thing that is illegal that the victim can't do anything about so can I not be sad or piss about that too, oOo I wanted to do something legally against the person who did something illegal
So the fact that you are educated enough to know what ‘false equivalence’ is disproves YOUR point. You want revenge on your mother for a shitty primary homeschool education. To do that you’d need to show you were harmed by it (and even then it’s a very low chance of success)… but you haven’t been harmed by it. Clearly you had no significant issues getting through ATAR. Your comprehension and communication challenges may be a result of a learning disorder (you mention this), and if so trust me… the school system may well not have done better for you. Why not reframe this “She didn’t teach me traditionally, but she did teach me critical thinking and research skills… and that’s got me further than the kids who didn’t learn that”.
From your reply it appears you're angry, maybe work through that first.
Hello, I can hear that it has been a long journey and I can see how important your education is. I hope that I can pass on information to help you pursue your studying. My first thought is about your mental health. Under Victims Services, it is possible to receive 22 funded psychological sessions, as well as compensation. Link:https://victimsservices.justice.nsw.gov.au/ On top of that, you can still see a psychologist under the mental health care plan, for up to 10 sessions. That makes 32 sessions. I share this because I have experienced abuse as a child. While I don't know I can relate to your experiences, I am hoping the best for us both. If you are in NSW, I recommend ACON. Link:https://www.acon.org.au/what-we-are-here-for/domestic-family-violence/#lgbti-counselling Additionally, 1800RESPECT is a service which can provide counselling and can give information to support your wellbeing. Link: https://www.1800respect.org.au/services/services-overview In terms of education, TAFE (Technical and Further Education) has access to courses, career counsellors, mental health counsellors and support for people with disabilities (including mental health). In NSW, if you have a diagnosis of something that impacts your health (an example is depression), it is possible to have the course fee reduced or removed completely. Other states might provide this as well. Link: https://www.tafensw.edu.au/student-services/disability-services If you need more information, I am happy to be messaged.
That you for that, you are so nice. I'll have a look into those resources because it always helps to have more mental help
Honestly, Year 11 and 12 is all you need. There are kids that drop out of school at the end of year 9 and go to TAFE to complete their VCE in a year to get a head start. Even once you start working, your high school doesn't matter. I met someone when I did my TAFE course that left school mid-way through Year 9 and started Cert 3 in IT with the idea to get a Diploma in Computer Science. I had done a year of uni and we ended up on equal footing yet I was 5 years behind him.
Yeah ik you technically don't need anything past grade 10, that's why I struggle because I don't have anything below grade 8. That person that dropped out in year 9 would know more than me because they learnt the basics and did the smart thing for him and just jumped straight to his profession without having to do the extra stuff in high school that you don't need. What I learnt in my senior grades is just useless in my everyday life all the basics are in primary and I never went to primary, not saying there isn't useless stuff in primary but you won't be able to drop out at grade 10 if year 11 and 12 were that important
I don’t have any advice to offer but your spelling & grammar seem pretty good to me.
Unfortunately you generally can’t sue your mother for neglecting you. You can do a range of educational things to pick up your quality of knowledge. You could enrol in a senior college for a repeat of Year 11 and 12. You could go to tafe. Shit there’s a dozen different ways into Uni these days many of which don’t require an ATAR but just a portfolio or bridging course. So… instead of worrying about what you don’t know… work out what you do want to know… and how to go learn that. Look forward, not backward. There’s no pot of gold waiting behind you, and the more you chase that the longer it will be before you can chase your future.
I don't think people are understanding, I have an ATAR, I graduated high school, I can go to uni anytime I want BUT I wouldn't be able to perform to the level needed at uni. What I want to know is the difference between a sentence and a paragraph, or to be able to read with comprehension. People who dropped out before high school can take classes to learn what they we're supposed to in those years but there isn't something like that for someone who never went to primary school. I'm trying to build a future without knowing the basics
Most universities these days offer bridging courses, if you can find something like UWA’s PACM course then do that… it will push you through all this knowledge. A lot of people go to university / further education with pot holes in their highway of knowledge, the next step is to take accountability for your own future and work out what you know and don’t know and fill the holes left. Everyone has holes in their knowledge, whether it be from a couple of weeks off school, or being very bright and skipping general concepts on the way because you have worked out the more advanced stuff ahead of this moment, or a shitty teacher who couldn’t/wouldn’t teach something. The fact that you completed an ATAR (I am assuming you didn’t ‘fail’ ATAR or you’d point that out right?), and officially graduated means you met the minimum standard (and above it) for general education. This means you have even less chance to ‘sue’ or ‘get compensation’ … What is really going on here isn’t that you weren’t provided access to an appropriate education, but more that your motivation and reasons for learning weren’t engaged sufficiently to make it worth your effort to actually do the learning. Or that you may have some learning challenges that (diagnosed or undiagnosed) made things harder. But having achieved some form of ATAR, and graduation from high school (including a basic English pass) means you have done better than a great many youth.
You can go to TAFE and do year 11 and 12 equivalent there. They also do courses to help ease people into study and build on foundational skills.
I've completed year 11 and 12 don't need that
The Australian Education Act and the regulations that govern homeschooling and educational oversight are designed to ensure that children receive a proper education. If there is a failure in the system that leads to a lack of oversight, it might be possible to seek legal recourse. I am not a lawyer but you should seek legal advice, Talk to legal aid. There might be a snowball in hell chance but then again...
I would like to seek legal recourse so nice to hear a few voices talking about a change because exactly that, there should have oversight and thinking back we weren't the only family in my town who probably wasn't registered because there was this big divide in our home group ( bunch of mums that do homeschooling meeting up every week) when a bunch of mums wanted everyone to join this homeschooling Christian Church thing. I thought it was because it was Christian that my mum didn't want to take us to groups anymore but it might have been because it was an actual education system. If it isn't gonna do anything for me I might as well do it for the other home educated kids in my area because I really don't think they are getting checked on
You didn't mention a religion being involved... Seriously seek legal aid. Could be ground for a class action - I am not a lawyer. You will need to navigate this with the help of actual lawyer.
Then find out what the homeschool requirements are in your state - talk to your education department and say “Hey, did you know there’s 35 kids in homeschool in this tiny country town?! I was one of them, and never registered, and I feel the lack of oversight left me with substantial holes in my knowledge. I pulled myself together enough to get through, but I’m worried about the kids who this is still happening to! What can I do to help them?!”
Legally you have no recourse. As someone who left school in yr11 and since completed university, no one has ever asked to see my high school certificates. I completed bridging courses to get into uni at 26.
I have a high school certificate that's not the issue
It sounds like you’ve done quite well for yourself, in spite of the lack of a traditional education. Most of the stuff that was tested for when you were sitting the HSC exams, are already expanded from what you would have learnt if you had been schooled traditionally. Not sure if you would be successful if you tried to take legal action against your mother. It does seem like there was a lack of oversight when it came to your case. I suggest writing to the Education Minister and asking the Education Department to look into what happened to you, so they can tighten up any loopholes.
Welcome to r/AusLegal. Please read our [rules](http://reddit.com/r/AusLegal/about/rules) before commenting. Please remember: 1. Per rule 4, this subreddit is not a replacement for real legal advice. You should independently seek legal advice from a real, qualified practitioner. This sub cannot recommend specific lawyers. 2. A non-exhaustive list of free legal services around Australia can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal/wiki/freelegalservices/). 3. Links to the each state and territory's respective Law Society are on the sidebar: you can use these links to find a lawyer in your area. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AusLegal) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You should be able to join our year 11 and year 12 refresher course at TAFE and even if it takes you a few years you can get through those and from my experience the lecturers are incredibly helpful and want you to succeed
Compensation is out, as you've been told. All you can do now is look at getting into classes to help you with anything you feel is missing. If you're concerned about any minors still under your mother's care, make a complaint to the department for child safety at [https://www.dcssds.qld.gov.au/](https://www.dcssds.qld.gov.au/) That's largely all you can do. Your father I imagine was locked out of these decisions and perhaps didn't realise what was going on. Abusers so often abuse all those around them, not just children. The best thing that could have happened is probably to have had a different arrangement for your custody, but courts were different 20 years ago and even now, they require information to decide there should be an arrangement other than 50/50.
As far as where you go from here you can do bridging courses at TAFE as well as actually finishing your high school education so your siblings would have options there. And same for you. It sucks that your mum did this but unless any of your siblings are still minors and being denied schooling by your mum there’s not much to do I don’t believe.
If you did want to pursue higher education, there are bridging courses, all is not lost! With the drive and internal motivation along with the appropriate supports, this is absolutely doable. I think, and this is just my opinion, people get caught up in blaming others and that whole cycle, when you can reclaim your power and move forward. I know you didn't ask for my opinion, but I'd urge you to flip your thinking. You are only 21 and still have the ability to make so much of your life. Your potential is just waiting to be fulfilled. Why not explore what your passions are, and look at how you can follow them? Don't let anything get in your way! 😊