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Department of Education

Home Education - Requirements and duties of parents

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Education WCED Western Cape Government
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Requirements & Duties of parents

Requirements for Home Education

A parent who wishes to register his/her child for home education MUST apply before the end of September of the year preceding the year in which the child will receive home tuition. The department may allow a deviation from this if the parent can provide sound reasons for the delay in registering the learner for home education.

Parents can submit the application form with the required documents to their closest district office.

The education received by the learner at home must:

  1. The education received by the learner at home must:
    1. meet the minimum requirements of the curriculum at public schools; and
    2. be of a standard not inferior to the standard of education provided at public schools.

  2. Home education is a programme of education that a parent of a learner(s) may provide to his/her own child at their own home. In addition, the parent may, if necessary, enlist the specific services of a tutor for specific areas of the curriculum

  3. The parent(s) may contact the principal of a registered school of their choice regularly to keep in touch with the latest developments in education.

  4. A parent should ensure that the results of assessment tasks such as tests and examinations are valid and reliable through implementing measures such as invigilation of the learner during the process of completion of such tasks.

  5. A parent should use the services of a competent assessor (an independent, suitably qualified person(s), i.e. any qualified educator) to assess the progress of her or his child against the minimum outcomes and standards at the end of Grades 3, 6 and 9.

  6. In order to compile the Provincial promotional schedules for all learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9, parents of learners who are registered for home education are expected to monitor the progress of learners from Grades 1 to 9 and submit quarterly report cards and mark schedules for all learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9 to the Head of Department. Parents are also expected to maintain a portfolio of evidence that must contain a summative record or assessment schedule recording the achievement of learners.

  7. Neither the education department nor a school shall be held responsible for any shortcomings and/or other deficiencies in a learner’s scholastic achievements.

  8. The parents are responsible for all expenses regarding the learner’s education.

  9. Approval is granted per phase which will require official approval after completing each phase, to progress to the next phase of home tuition.

  10. The policy for the registration of learners for home tuition provides only for the registration of learners of school-going age, i.e. from Grade 1 to Grade 9, or from 7 to 15 years of age, whichever comes first. Parents must note that if they wish their child to continue with his or her school career after Grade 9 in the FET band (Grade 10 – 12) and doing the National Senior Certificate then that child must be registered with an education provider. Any public school or registered independent school is such an education provider. In this regard a parent can approach any such school to allow their child to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding who will be responsible for the SBA requirements. However, these schools are not compelled to do it. This implies that it remains the responsibility of the parents to ensure their children complies with the necessary requirements. Parents can also approach SACAI (https://www.sacai.org.za/), a registered assessment body, for guidance in this regard. SACAI can also advise about education providers that are registered with them.

  11. The learner will receive at least 3 hours contact teaching time per school day, but the instructional time per week (excluding assemblies and breaks) at schools is as follows and it is recommended that it be adhered to:
  • Grade R – 2: 23 hours
  • Grade 3: 25 hours
  • Grades 4 - 6: 27 hours 30 minutes
  • Grade 7 - 9: 27 hours 30 minutes
  • Grades 8 - 12: 27 hours 30 minutes

Duties of the parent for the monitoring of home education

After the learner has been registered for home education, the parent must perform the following duties:

  1. A record of attendance must be kept.

  2. A portfolio of the work of a learner must be kept. Up-to-date records of progression of a learner must be maintained. A portfolio of the work of the learner with evidence of intervention and other education support given to the learner must be kept. Such records must be made available for inspection by a duly authorised official of the provincial department of education.

  3. The parent must keep evidence of continuous assessment of the learner's work, which reflects the learner's progress towards achieving the outcomes of the learning programme. Evidence must also be kept of assessment/examinations at the end of each year of home education and at the end of grades 3, 6 and 9 stating whether or not the outcomes for these grades have been achieved.

  4. In order to compile the Provincial promotional schedules for all learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9, parents of learners who are registered for home education are expected to monitor the progress of learners from Grades 1 to 9 and submit quarterly report cards and mark schedules for all learners in Grades 3, 6 and 9 to the Head of Department. Parents are also expected to maintain a portfolio of evidence that must contain a summative record or assessment schedule recording the achievement of learners.

  5. The parent must keep all relevant assessment results for a period of three years for monitoring by the Head of Department.

  6. At the end of every phase, the parent should appoint a competent assessor (an independent, suitably qualified person(s), i.e. any qualified educator) at the parent's own expense for the assessment of the learner's progress at the end of the phase that the learner is completing. A parent may approach a public school or a registered independent school for assistance in obtaining such services. The person(s) must submit a statement to the Head of Department confirming that the learner so assessed has indeed reached the required level.

  7.  Should a learner be admitted to a public school or registered independent school, the parent must request the Head of Education in writing to terminate the learner's registration for home education.