How to register your child for home schooling


Home Education Provider, Brainline, has reassured parents who are considering home schooling as an option not to be deterred by the process of registering for home education. Brainline CEO, Coleen Cronje, says the process is not as daunting as it might seem.

‘Many parents who would like to opt for home education or e-learning are deterred by the notion of having to apply for exemption to have their children home schooled. This is, however, not such a complicated process. Parents who would like to home school their children only need to apply to the head of the Provincial Education Department,’ she says. 

The application can be made electronically, and parents need to submit the following documentation:

  • Parent/s certified ID copy
  • In case of foreign nationals certified copies of passport /study permit/work permit/Asylum document is required
  • Last copy of school report (if the child was in school before, but if the child is only starting school now you must attach an immunisation card)
  • Weekly timetable which includes contact time per day
  • Breakdown of terms per year (196 days per year)
  • Learning programme
  • Certified copy of child’s birth certificate

‘The application process might take up to 30 days to be processed but learners are allowed to continue home schooling during this period. There is also no cost involved in registering your child,’ Cronje explains.

Cronje says to home school learners parents need to ensure that they adhere to a number of requirements including that the lessons offered to the learners fall within the scope of the compulsory phases of education. (https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx)

‘This is the foundation phase for Grade 1-3, the intermediate phase for Gr4-6 or the senior phase for Gr7-9. There is also a list of records that the parents need to keep as portfolio of evidence which include amongst others, record of attendance, portfolio of work, 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, and evidence at the end of Grade 3,6 and 9, that shows whether your child has achieved the outcomes for these grades.’

Cronje says when learners enrol with home education providers such as Brainline, these requirements are already adhered to within the annual curriculum. Brainline is IEB recognised, which means that learners follow the South African National Curriculum (similar to the curriculum offered in South African schools) resulting in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) upon successful completion of their matric exams.

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What role should parents play in academic achievement?

Hilda Erasmus – Specialist: Foundation Phase

Nowadays, parents have a lot more control over their children’s lives and they want to be constantly informed about their children’s movements. Social media also allows parents to belong to groups so that they can be informed about every aspect of their children’s lives. With this, they also take responsibility for what their children should, in reality, be learning by themselves.

Have you ever heard of the term “helicopter parenting”? Well, if you have not heard of it, you have definitely seen it. These parents are constantly carrying everything behind their children to ensure that the child has everything that their heart desires. The children become so dependent on the parent that they do not get the opportunity to grow into independent adults.

So now the big question, how involved should you, as a parent, be in your child’s academic career? There are a few simple rules that parents can apply:

  • The younger the child, the more time you, as a parent, should spend helping the learner with tasks and homework, guide the child to academic maturity so that they can tackle tasks by themselves later on.
  • Make sure that your child has enough playing time, to master basic skills such as tying shoelaces, riding a bike and cutting things out. These important skills will help them to concentrate when they need to learn.
  • Limit them to minimal screen time. It’s very easy to put a child in front of the television so that you can get things done. Children, however, need to learn to think for themselves, to keep themselves busy. This is the basis of problem solving. If you give your children all the answers, they will never learn to think for themselves.
  • Learners must be restricted in their extra-curricular activities. Use the money you would have spent on these activities to buy books for your children. Foundation Phase learners’ schedules do not need to be more packed than their parents’ schedules and it is important that they should relax.
  • Make sure that your child has a place to do their homework. The kitchen table is not necessarily the best place.
  • Do not do your child’s homework but also do not leave your child to struggle on their own. A learner that lies down on their book dejected often does not know what to do, sometimes they are just too shy to ask again after it has been explained to them as they are worried that they will get a scolding.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to maintaining a healthy balance. Children should think for themselves, with the vigilant eye of a parent making sure that their children learn from their mistakes without burning their fingers.

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Collaborative Learning

by Prof Rita Niemann

Gerlach (2004) explained that collaborative learning is in essence a natural social act, implying talking about and discussing topics, which results in learning. In applying collaborative learning in terms of an educational approach, it means learners working together to solve problems or challenges in order to complete a task.

How can collaborative learning contribute to the learning process?

Collaborative learning can contribute to the learning process if the following elements are catered for:

Some tips for effective collaborative learning

Constituting the group

  • Ideal size: 4-5 learners.
  • Set up the groups prior to assigning the tasks.
  • Place groups in a way to optimise collaboration (e.g. around a table).

Assigning the task

  • Plan meticulously (e.g. the purpose, handouts, resources, etc.).
  • Use real-world problems to stimulate problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
  • Link emerging ideas to the purpose and objectives of the tasks.
  • Allow sufficient time.
  • Align tasks to the learners’ experiences, access to resources, skills, etc.
  • Present task in a visible manner.

Group member interaction

  • Allow for questions, if learners are not clear about what is expected from them.
  • Insist on proper behaviour.
  • Set ground rules for how groups have to operate.
  • Account for the diversity in and between groups,
  • Assign roles to the members of the group or allow the groups to assign their own roles.
  • Determine whether the team members have the required resources or allow for sharing resources.
  • A group name or logo builds group cohesion.
  • Allow for ample communication between members.
  • Allow learners to conduct research/explore options to solve a challenge/conduct an activity.
  • Allow for applying their own ideas.

Facilitator’s role

  • Have incentives/rewards to excite members to accomplish their goals.
  • Include an element of competition.
  • Monitor the groups’ progress, but do not interfere with their work.
  • Let groups give feedback (orally or in a written form).
  • Give constructive feedback on what worked well and where learners were on the right track and make suggestions for improvement.
  • Allow learners to reflect on their group experiences.
  • Discuss/present the outcome/s to get critique.
  • Support learners who fall behind.
  • The usage of technology should be considered (e.g. chats).
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10 Tips for home education success

By Danielle Barfoot, written for Impaq (Formally known as Impak Onderwysdiens)

The scheduled academic year for mainstreamers may already be in full swing, but the great thing about teaching your child yourself is that you can start – or switch to – home education at any time. Whether this is the first time you are home educating your child, or whether you’ve been doing it for years, here are some practical tips to ensure a successful and less stressful academic year.

  1. Start with a lesson plan: If the prospect of planning an entire year’s worth of lessons seem overwhelming, turn to the materials supplied by your curriculum provider. It should include an easy to follow lesson plan and proposed weekly time allocations for each subject.
  2. Create the right environment: Home education can take place virtually anywhere, and each set-up looks different – you don’t need to invest lots of money or dedicate an entire room to the endeavour. However, do make sure that there is an inspiring space that is free of distractions and conducive to learning.
  3. Keep track: You must keep a solid record of everything your child is learning, including assessments. Check with the DBE for their exact record-keeping requirements.
  4. Set realistic expectations: You probably have an idea of how things should go, but it’s easy to expect too much. As with life, not everything always goes to plan, so be sure set realistic expectations for yourself and your child.
  5. Be consistent…: The gravity of your responsibility for the educational success of your child should encourage you to set a plan and keep to it. On some days it may be difficult to say no to outside distractions, but staying focused will pay off in the long run.
  6. …but flexible: That said, not all families thrive on having a detailed list of what to do and when to do it. The beauty of home education is that, when life happens – your child gets sick, exciting opportunities arise and unexpected adventures call – you can plan your child’s education around it.
  7. Take a break: Another benefit of home education is that you don’t need to wait for scheduled public or school holidays. If you start to notice that your child’s enthusiasm is lacking and you’re losing your temper in the process, it may be time to take a break. A trip to the park, a nature walk, or a family vacation are great ways to relax and destress. They could, of course, also serve as exciting learning opportunities.
  8. Make learning fun: Learning doesn’t just happen from books, so be sure to include hands-on experiences in your home education plan. Excursions and experiments are a great way to bring concepts to life and give your child a new understanding and appreciation of a particular topic or subject.
  9. The world is your classroom: Almost everything we do involves some skills – thinking, reading, problem-solving, etc. Once you view every situation as educational, whether you are baking something, setting the table, or going grocery shopping, you will be amazed at what your child can learn.
  10. Remember the end goal: When things don’t go according to plan – you will experience frustration or exasperation – keep perspective. Success goes beyond the details of what is taught when educating your child; it is the relationship you have with your child at the end of the journey.

Make no mistake, home education can be hard. There is no one size fits all programme and it will take trial and error to get the right balance. So, as you follow this journey, don’t let anyone tell you how to educate your child. And if things don’t feel right, then make changes. Don’t worry if your solution is different to somebody else’s – no-one knows your child better than you, so trust in yourself and keep these tips in mind. Things will work out!

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