How To Register Your Child For Home Schooling

When the Minister addressed the media earlier this week on the Department of Basic Education’s decision to postpone the phased reopening of schools for Grade 7 and 12 pupils to 8 June, she reiterated that parents who still felt anxious about sending their kids back to school amid the coronavirus pandemic, could apply for exemption for school attendance by registering for home schooling. Brainline CEO, Coleen Cronje, says the process is not as daunting as it might seem.

‘Many parents who would like to opt for home education or e-learning are deterred by the notion of having to apply for exemption to have their children home schooled. This is, however, not such a complicated process. Parents who would like to home school their children only need to apply to the head of the Provincial Education Department,’ she says.

The application can be made electronically, and parents need to submit the following documentation:

• Parent/s certified ID copy
• In case of foreign nationals certified copies of passport /study permit/work permit/Asylum document is required
• Last copy of school report (if the child was in school before, but if the child is only starting school now you must attach an immunisation card)
• Weekly timetable which includes contact time per day
• Breakdown of terms per year (196 days per year)
• Learning programme
• Certified copy of child’s birth certificate

‘The application process might take up to 30 days to be processed but learners are allowed to continue home schooling during this period. There is also no cost involved in registering your child,’ Cronje explains.

Cronje says to home school learners parents need to ensure that they adhere to a number of requirements including that the lessons offered to the learners fall within the scope of the compulsory phases of education. (https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx)

‘This is the foundation phase for Grade 1-3, the intermediate phase for Gr4-6 or the senior phase for Gr7-9. There is also a list of records that the parents need to keep as portfolio of evidence which include amongst others, record of attendance, portfolio of work, portfolio of the educational support given to the child, evidence of the continuous assessment of the child’s work, evidence of the assessment and or examination at the end of each year, and evidence at the end of Grade 3,6 and 9, that shows whether your child has achieved the outcomes for these grades.’

Cronje says when learners enrol with home education providers such as Brainline, these requirements are already adhered to within the annual curriculum. Brainline is IEB recognised, which means that learners follow the South African National Curriculum (similar to the curriculum offered in South African schools) resulting in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) upon successful completion of their matric exams.