I ‘ve noted a lot of confusion, especially in South Africa, about the term – homeschooling, and I have reason to believe, it is a direct result of some institutions, incorrectly (and sometimes even purposely) adopting this word in their logos, and advertising their services, under this term.
To best start the explanation between the difference of the above terms, we should start by directly referring to how these terms are stated, according to the South African Schools Act, 1996 ( Act No. 84 of 1996) under definitions.
1. “Home Education” Homeschooling is the process of teaching one’s children in the home instead of sending them to a school. Homeschooling provides learning outside of the public or private school environment.
2. “illegal independent educational institution” means and educational institution such as a cottage school, tutor centre, home school centre and micro schools, operating like an independent school whilst unregistered in terms of the act” Homeschooling means, educating a child in his own home, either by a parent, grandparent or a care taker, in other words – The place at which they sleep and bath at night. There is also the term “to home educate” and both are the same thing. Homeschooling, is the best known term, that have been used for a long time, and the term we associate ourselves by. When you hear someone saying they are registering at a “homeschool”, they are certainly being misled and needs to be informed! Homeschool – as referred to in the above noted definitions, means the education of your OWN child, by a parent, care giver or tutor, and only refer to your child in his/her own home. You can there for not register your child in “a homeschool” outside of your home environment. The only alternative, is a registered cottage school, tutor center or micro school, and if this option is considered, surety must be given that these institutions, are legally registered at the department of education, and follow the departments requirements. If someone has registered their child at a small private school aka cottage/micro school or learning/tutor center, then they have to call it exactly that. If you register your child with a service provider, then it is referred to as distant education, online education/program/learning or school. It may all sound very confusing but the thing to remember is that homeschooling is exactly what the word states. “Home”-Education at home. / “School” – teaching your child. However, each person does and practice homeschooling in their own way, and in the child’s best interest at the end of the day. The moment your child has to travel to a classroom setup, at an institute of some sort, in order to get an education, it is not homeschooling. Then they attend a school. It may not be mainstream school, yet it is still a school or learning center. Many people started educating their children at home, as a result of the March 2020 worldwide pandemic, and did so by using distant and online learning with their kids. A Large amount of those people went on to continue home school, as they personally found that not all programs are meant for every child. Many children does not do very well on a boxed curriculum or program, while others thrive! We for one buy each subject we choose in book forms from different programs offered. So our child would use a CAPS aligned Afrikaans book for instance, while using Nelsons Gr 4 English, Math and Science and we supplement the Oxford English books. Then, we use library books in order to do research on Geography, History or anything else, which we find an interest in at the same time. We also start our academic year in June and aim to complete two grades in one year, which will leave us some extra years (after completion of Gr 12) to focus mostly on our child’s passionate talents such as music. That, we call homeschooling 101 right there! You go at your own pace and it is child led, yet monitored and facilitated by the parent. I decided to leave a couple of links here, with options that you can consider on your own homeschooling journey, as I realize how daunting it is for new parents, when starting this journey.
1. Evolve Online, is an IEB registered online school, which tailors your child’s educational needs. Evolve’s main focus is to assist your child in enhancing their weak points or subjects, whilst growing their strengths.
2. If you are looking for a British curriculum that are well known for their excellent service, then Wingu Academy is the right choice for you. Wingu delivers Pearsons qualifications to their students and learners.
3. The local library can be something of the past for us homeschoolers, as we have KIBOOKS Online, at our fingertips. They are very affordable with thousands of ELibrary resources available 24/7. No mess no fuss!
4. If your child is getting an education in Afrikaans, and you wish to have a Christian basis on which your child learns, then Nukleus is an absolute must. Nukleus provides many subjects, and you are able to purchase a set curriculum with them. Nukleus is very well known for their excellent service, and many years of practice in their field.
5. Should you be educating in English and are looking for a set curriculum in distance learning, then Brainline is a very good option. They are IEB approved and have been practicing for over 32 years in the field of education.
https://www.evolveonline.co.za
https://kibooks.online/sign-in
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