There are two lines of thinking on this issue
1. All home schooled learners should be registered with the DBE
The South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) respects the right of parent/guardians to home school learners, but also stipulates that by law every learner should be registered with the DBE for home schooling if their parents/guardians choose this option.
Download the Policy on Home Education
Download the checklist to register at the DBE
Here is how OPSA could help with the DBE registration process for home schooling a learner:
Part of the documentation that is required by the DBE to register a learner for home schooling is a grade specific Learning Programme that indicates that the content that will be covered in the home school programme is adequate and on the equivalent (or higher) level than the same grade in mainstream schools.
This is sometimes very difficult for parents to compile and therefore OPSA includes CAPS aligned Learning Programmes for Gr 1 to 9 among our services.
2. Parents do not need to register with the DBE
Some parents feel strongly that the South African Constitution protects their right to choose how to educate their children and opt not to register with the DBE, especially if home schooling is their ongoing choice for the learner throughout the compulsory education band up to Grade 9.
Organisations like the Pestalozzi Trust can assist parents with useful information and services if they choose this option. (https://pestalozzi.org/en/home/)
OPSA recommendation:
It is every parent’s right to make their own choice.
However, we recommend option 1 above where parents/guardians are not completely sure if they wish to continue with home schooling throughout the entire compulsory schooling band (up to Grade 9) and possibly also up to Grade 12, in other words, they wish to keep the option open to let the learner return to a South African government school at some stage.
Your home school registration with the DBE will help to avoid complications should the learner return to mainstream schooling later.