For many years, some South African home schooling families have chosen not to register with their provincial education departments. Instead, they have decided to “fly under the radar”. This decision was particularly common among established home schoolers before the BELA Act came into force in December 2024. Between 2013 and 2024, home education remained regulated by the South African Schools Act and national policy, but provincial administration and enforcement were often we

For a learner of compulsory school age (Grade R to Grade 9), the South African Schools Act requires a parent who chooses home education to apply for registration. This registration gives the learner an exemption from the compulsory school attendance law; it is the way home schoolers comply with the law. What if you do not register? Without registration, your homeschooled child will not have that statutory exemption. A provincial education department could investigate why your

South Africa likes to think of itself as a country committed to human rights and freedom. Yet when educational freedom is measured internationally, the picture is considerably less impressive. In the 2023 Freedom of Education Index, South Africa ranked only 81st out of 157 countries. The Index measures educational pluralism by considering whether non-government schools may legally operate, how they are funded, primary-school enrolment and the proportion of children educated o

South Africa in the middle of a History curriculum review. The Department of Basic Education has published draft new History CAPS documents for Grades 4 to 12 for public comment, with comments closing on 19 April 2026. The Department has stressed that these are still draft curriculum documents and that public submissions will help shape any final version. This has revived an old question: Can History now become compulsory for the National Senior Certificate? Our view is that

Under the South African Schools Act (as amended), all learners must be registered for Grade R by the first day of school in the year in which they turn 6. They must either be enrolled in a registered public or independent school or registered for home education. For homeschool families, that means you need to register with your provincial education department (PED). You’ll find the forms to do that on the Department of Basic Education’s home education page. (https://www.

On Thursday, 22 January 2025, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) played a game of peekaboo on their X account. For a few minutes readers were treated to a DBE post about registering for home education. Homeschoolers were just becoming outraged when the post became “Nothing to see her - yet.”. Why did the post disappear? We can only surmise because it contained several errors. Immunization certificates required Home schoolers were told that alongside other documents they

South Africa’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) gets a lot of criticism. But it also has a practical advantage that matters enormously right now, when applying to university you do not need additional documents such as a USaF exemption, that many doing alternative school leaving qualifications, will need. This matters in the rush to register that will be taking place this week. The national, headline results are announced today, Monday 12 January 2026, and individual results

There’s been a lot of talk about assessments and even more confusion. Some families have been told they must get “competent assessor reports” right away, while others are being encouraged to pay for assessments before anyone knows what is supposed to be in an assessment. Before you reach for your wallet, pause. The correct approach is simple: keep that wallet closed. Don’t Assess Unnecessarily Assessments are only required at the end of a phase , not every year. You do not n

There is nothing worse than a child finding out at the end of Grade 11 or in Grade 12 that they are not actually registered for matric. Well, one thing worse - discovering that the certificate they thought was real is in fact fraudulent while standing in the university admissions queue. This can be avoided with just a few checks that could save your child from massive disappointment. The system of doing matric through distance-education and home-school providers has been i

When making extensive use of online resources, it can be difficult to know whether you are, for legal purposes, homeschooling or enrolled in an online school. The Principal Principle can help you draw the line. This is not so much about who helps you teach your child, or what, when, and how you teach, but about who is the “principal” of your home school. Here we mean your own homeschool with your own child(ren), not a cottage school. If you as the parent take final responsibi

With characteristic South African humour, teachers are taking to social media to show what they fear the BELA Act will do to school...

With the BELA Act coming into effect on 24 December 2024 it is now law that all children from the year that they turn six have to attend...

" Should I stay or should I go " is what is on a lot of home schoolers' minds today. Must I send in my registration forms now (by...

The President will sign the BELA Bill on Friday. Minister Siviwe Gwarube has committed in an article in the Mail & Guardian to implement...

A press release from Umalusi is causing unnecessary worry and concern for parents and learners. It is a pity that learners already...

The original Beatles version https://youtu.be/YEESfv-11ng?si=hE36MoqXXuWfZgX_ Verse 1 BELA was a Bill from Angie's imagination But she...

The appointment on Sunday evening of Hon. Siviwe Gwarube (DA) as Minister of Basic Education in all likelihood means that the BELA Bill...

How to endorse Learnfree's request for re-issuing the Call for Comment on the CAB Bill. Below is the template to endorse Learnfree's...

How to make a request for re-issuing the Call for Comment. Below is the template to make a request for re-issuing of the call for...

The quickest way to get an extra thirty days to study the Children's Amendment Bill. Use the template below for a thirty day extension....