A parent or legal guardian of a learner of compulsory school-going age who chooses to have her child educated at home must submit a written application and necessary documentation to the Head of Department, for the following phases:
- Foundation Phase (grades 1-3)
- Intermediate Phase (grades 4-6)
- Senior Phase (grades 7-9)
Online applications can be done on the departmental website www.education.gov.za by September of the year proceeding the year in which home education is to commence. The Head of Department may allow a deviation from the above if the parent can provide reasonable reasons for the delay in registering the learner for home education. Parents who cannot access the internet should contact the Provincial Education Department and request application forms. The list of Provincial Home Education Officials are provided in the last page.
Upon approval of the application, the Head of Department will enter the details of the learner on the home education register. The parent will receive a certificate for the learner reflecting the phase applied for, the period of registration and the learner registration number.
After completion of each phase and proof that the minimum requirements for the subject have been met, the parent(s) must apply for registration for the next phase.