Home is where the learning is

23 January 2017 - 11:36 By PENWELL DLAMINI
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exam, matric, school, file photo
exam, matric, school, file photo
Image: iStock

Parents who choose to educate their children at home have some tough hurdles to overcome.

Capetonian Ruth Davidson* chose home schooling for her children because she objects to the government school syllabus. She is teaching an American Christian syllabus.

"I wanted to develop a love of learning in my children and I did not see that in the state school system. I also saw a lot mediocrity," she said.

Davidson, a mathematics teacher, has enjoyed years of tutoring her children aged 8, 12 and 14. They are not registered with the education department as being home-taught.

"It is not easy to register. As soon as you register you are agreeing to follow the state's syllabus."

She is part of a group of more than 1000 parents who have not sought the state's permission to educate their children at home and have formed a Facebook group.

Home schooling is growing in popularity.

Statistics SA's General Household Survey in 2013 said there were 15830 pupils being educated at home across all provinces - 0.1% of children at school.

In 2015, the survey showed 22000 children were being taught at home.

The Pestalozzi Trust is a legal defence fund set up to shield parents who are educating their children at home without the state's permission.

Trustee Shaun Green said some parents resented government officials inspecting their home.

He said that legislation did not compel parents to register but the head of an education department must be satisfied that home schooling was in the child's best interests.

Education departments register home-schooled pupils provided their parents meet state criteria.

Esther van Wyk* of Tzaneen in Limpopo is a home-schooling mother of four.

"I selected a curriculum that I was comfortable with personally," she said.

The Limpopo education department declined to register her children so she joined the Pestalozzi Trust.

Lara Ragpot, an associate professor in the childhood education department at the University of Johannesburg, said home teaching was tough at high-school level.

"Parents do not always know all the ways in which they should help children develop. This might result in stunted learning or incorrect skills and habits that are difficult to correct later."

* Names have been changed

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