MORE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do home-schooled children have to stick to the set school term? No, parents can follow their own plan, but need to cover all the work. What does your home need to make it an environment that’s suitable for home-schooling? A parent should allocate an appropriate teaching and learning space within the home, according to the department of basic education’s home-education policy. Such a space should include the following as basic minimum requirements:

An area that’s conducive for the learner to complete their education programme.

An area (or access to an area) for physical education or social play within the surroundings of the home or community. Will I still need to keep paying school fees? The department of education has made it clear that parents who are opting for lockdown learning must continue to pay school fees while their child remains registered at a school.

“It’s important to keep contact with the school where your child is registered regarding your plans for the upcoming months,” home-schooling expert Karin van Oostrum says. “You need to make it clear to your school that you intend returning your child after the danger has passed.” If I decide to deregister my child now and re-register after Covid-19, will my child automatically be guaranteed a place? Kids who are deregistered will be treated like any new learner applying for a place in the school. So if you remove your children from school you might struggle to get them back in later.

If you plan to return your child to the school next year or after the Covid-19 chaos is over, contact the school directly to find out what exactly would be required for readmission, Van Oostrum says.

In order to home-school your kids go to the school they’re enrolled at and ask for application forms for lockdown learning