When home-schooling becomes an option
The Spokesperson for the Department of Education, Tidimalo Chuene spoke to BONUS regarding the procedures parents will have to go through to register their children for home-schooling.
POLOKWANE – With learners and teachers returning to school on 1 June, parents are considering enrolling their children for homeschooling in order to prevent the possible spread of Covid-19.
Last week, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced that should parents feel uncomfortable sending their children back to school, the department would permit them to register for home-schooling.
Should parents decide to remove their children from school and to have them subsequently repeat their current grade in 2021, they will need to re-apply for space at a school for that year, she added.
The Spokesperson for the Department of Education, Tidimalo Chuene spoke to BONUS regarding the procedures parents will have to go through to register their children for home-schooling.
“Home-schooling is a programme alternative to attending public or independent schools, where parents are allowed to provide education for their children at home, as long as they apply to the head of the provincial Education Department to register a child for home education.
Chuene added that the application process entails sending an application to the provincial head of department that will allow the parents to provide education for their children at home. “The lesson that you offer your child must fall within the scope that has been predetermined by the department of education.”
Information on the department of basic education’ website stipulates that parents must ensure to keep records of their children’s learning for assessment purposes.
These records include:
- Record of attendance
- Portfolio of the child’s work
- Up- to- date records of the child’s progress
- 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
- Evidence at the end of grade 3,6 and 9, that shows whether your child has achieved the outcomes for these grades.
“The application form can be found on the department’s website or at any departmental office.”
Cheuene added that the form outlines the requirements by the department for the assessment of these learners.
“The application is free, but it can take up to 30 days to be processed.”
Chuene says that when you register your child for home learning it is not necessary to enrol them with a tutoring institution. Although this is recommended in order to educationally support the learner it is not mandatory. The service of applying is free of charge but can take up to 30 days for approval.
