The National Education Department has three systems of education: public, independent schooling and home education.
The department regards home education as a system of education where a parent applies to the head of department (HOD) of a provincial education department (PED) to register his or her child to receive education at home.
According to Steve Mabona, spokesperson of the Gauteng Department of Education, Section 51 of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 states that a parent may apply to the HOD for the registration of a learner to receive education at the learner’s home.
“The HOD must register a learner as contemplated in subsection 1 if he or she is satisfied that the registration is in the best interests of the learner,” said Mabona
“The education likely to be received by the learner at home will meet the minimum requirements of the curriculum at public schools and will be of a standard not inferior to the standard of education provide at public schools.
“The parent will comply with any other reasonable conditions set by the HOD,” Mabona said.
The education spokesperson said a parent should teach his or her own child or children at home, provided the child or children are registered with the PED to receive education at home.
“Home education site means that any home education happening outside the learner’s home is deemed illegal. A parent can utilise services of a support centre or that of a tutor in specific areas of the curriculum.
“For example, if a parent cannot teach maths, he or she can require such a service from a tutor.”
Some of the steps one should consider for homeschooling
- Complete an application form which is provided by the PED and motivate why you think home education will be in the best interest of your child(ren).
- The application form and all supporting documents are processed.
- Subsequent to the administrative process, a pre-registration site verification process is conducted.
- A submission is developed. The compliant applicants are approved and the non-compliant applicants are declined.
- Both the approved and the declined applicants receive the outcome of their applications in a form of a letter signed by the HOD.
- The approved learners are provided with a unique registration number and are included on the Home Education database.
- Officials conduct post-registration monitoring to ensure that parents are still on the right track.
Offence
According to Mabona, when a person has been found running a home school, thus teaching other children, they will be liable to be found guilty.
“Section 46 of the South African Schools Act of 84 of 1996 under the registration of independent school states that no person may establish or maintain an independent school unless it’s registered by the HOD.
“Any person who contravenes subsection one is guilty of an offence and upon conviction liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period of three months,” Mabona said.
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