When should I register my child with the DBE for home education/homeschooling?

When should I register my child with the DBE for home education/homeschooling?

In South Africa, all Grade 1 to 9 children (or 7 to 15 years of age) are considered of compulsory school-going age. The BELA Act also deems Grade R compulsory, however, the current home education guidelines are not specific around Grade R and parents must liaise with their Provincial Department of Education around registration. 

Parents/legal guardians are required to register learners with the Department of Education (DBE) as from September of the year preceding the start of a new phase for the first time. The phases are: Grades 1 to 3 (Foundation Phase), Grades 4 to 6 (Intermediate Phase) and Grades 7 to 9 (Senior Phase). Towards the end of a particular phase, should a parent decide to home educate the learner during the next phase, it is the parent's responsibility to inform the PED of their intention to continue with home education. 

 You can complete this free registration at the following link: https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx

 Find more information on registering with your provincial department of education (PED) on our Optimi Learning Portal. 

 Please note that Impaq cannot register learners on behalf of the parent/legal guardian. A tutor can also not register a learner as tutors are not considered legal schools. Learners enrolled at the Impaq Online School do not need to be registered with their Provincial Department of Education. A draft policy for online schools is being reviewed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) at the moment, and as such, online school learners have are currently exempt from registration with the DBE.

​ Registration with the DBE is not applicable to Grades 10 to 12 learners.


    • Related Articles

    • How do I register my child with the DBE?

      The parent or legal guardian of a learner being home-educated can register his/her child with the relevant Provincial Department of Education by following the steps below. Please note: Online school learners are exempt from registration at the moment ...

    • Who is responsible for registering a learner with the DBE?

      Only the parent/legal guardian may register a learner for home education (homeschooling). Unfortunately, no third party may do this on your behalf. Parents/legal guardians are required to register Grades 1 to 9 learners with the Department of ...

    • Where can I find year plans to support my DBE registration?

      Year plans can be downloaded from the Optimi Learning Portal under Resources > General Documents > Where to begin > Year Plans. These year plans will be required for registration with the DBE. For more information regarding registering a learner with ...

    • Are tutors registered with the DBE?

      Tutors are not registered with the DBE and therefore, tutors are also not considered a legal school or legal educational institution. The law currently stipulates that tutors may provide subject-specific assistance to learners. Should a tutor wish to ...

    • Does Impaq monitor or accredit tutors?

      Impaq does not own, manage, monitor or accredit tutors. Tutors registered with Impaq, register to make use of our products and services to support learners registered with Impaq. For Grades 10 to 12, tutors must complete SACAI's invigilator training ...