This week Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga issued new guidelines for parents who have decided not to send their children back to school over Covid-19 concerns.
Motshekga said parents who have decided to keep their children at home needed to apply to Provincial Education Departments for home learning.
"We advise these parents not to go to schools, but rather approach the provincial education departments for help as registration does not take place at school," she said.
For parents planning on not sending their children back to school this year, below is a basic guideline on how to apply for an exemption:
If a parent/guardian with a child in a public school does not wish to send their child to school for the foreseeable future, they must apply to the school, who will submit it to the Head of Department, who, in terms of section 4 of the South African Schools Act, 1996, (Act 84 of 1996), may exempt a learner temporarily and conditionally from compulsory school attendance, if it is in the best interest of the learner.
Parents will be informed timeously via the school when this concession will end.
The following options are available to parents/guardians should they wish to not send their child to school:
Option 1:
Application to exempt a learner with comorbidities temporarily from compulsory school attendance.
Option 2:
Application to exempt a learner without comorbidities temporarily and conditionally from compulsory school attendance.
Option 3:
Deregistration of a learner and application for Home Education.
Should a parent/guardian wish to deregister their child from the school and apply for a learner to receive education at the learner’s home, he or she must comply with the legal requirements for the provision of home education, as contemplated in section 51 of the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996).
The Policy on Home Education, the requirements and duties of parents, and the application form can be accessed here.
Please note, guidelines may vary according to province