It’s a decision that sits heavy on every parent’s mind: Should I send my child back to school?
Fortunately, with a world of information at your fingertips, coming to the right decision shouldn’t be difficult.
If you’ve made up your mind to keep your little one at home for the remainder of the year, BrightSparkz Tutors breaks things down into digestible pieces to help you navigate the world of homeschooling.
Firstly, you'll need to register with the Department of Education (unless your child is continuing to learn online using the platforms provided by their school).
If your child is choosing to do online learning from home, they need to do so with your support.
Reasons for homeschooling and options available to you
You can choose not to send your child back to school during the national state of emergency for these reasons:
- Your child has a medical condition, including co-morbidities.
- Your child is anxious or fearful of Covid-19.
- You are concerned about risk to family members that live with you who are over the age of 60 or have co-morbidities.
- You would prefer to have your child continue learning through the online or virtual platforms provided by an independent institution (not your child’s school).
- Your child prefers to learn through the online or virtual platforms provided by their school.
- You want to apply for homeschooling and deregistration from their current school.
Exemption: Reasons 1-4
If your reason for wanting to keep your child at home is one of the first four reasons listed above, you’ll need to apply for a full or partial exemption. To do this, you’ll need to ask your child’s school to apply to the Head of Department. What does this entail?
- There will be a few forms that you’ll need to fill in.
- The HoD will arrange that your child’s school continues providing you with learning materials.
- You’ll need to ensure that you receive these, and that your child puts in the work and submits any assignments on time.
Online learning: Reason 5
If you have decided not to send your child back to school for reason 5, you don’t need to do anything. You don’t need to apply for an exemption, and your child can continue to learn online if their school provides this option.
You will be responsible for ensuring that your child puts in the work and submits any assignments on time.
What are your responsibilities?
As your child is still an enrolled learner of the school and receives regular input and support from their teachers, you will need to continue paying school fees. You are also responsible for:
- Creating a conducive environment for your child to learn at home.
- Accepting the responsibility to oversee the daily learning of your child at home, including the daily work and assessments.
- Accepting the responsibility of ensuring that your child is informed of what work must be learnt and what must be completed daily.
- Ensuring that all work and assignments are collected from and delivered to the school, as required and agreed to by the school.
Homeschooling: Reason 6
If you have decided not to send your child back to school for reason 6, you’ll need to register your child with a homeschool organisation by applying electronically.
You will need to provide:
- A weekly timetable indicating contact (class) time per day: at least 3 hours per day of “class” time.
- A breakdown of terms per year (196 school days per year): we suggest following the public school calendar.
- A learning programme: a statement of what you’re going to teach, when. Homeschool providers such as Brainline will also be able to provide you with this, if you sign up with them.
The last step after your application is a home visit with an official to verify your information, provide guidance and complete the final forms. You can find more information on homeschooling here.