NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 51
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/03/2013
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04/2013)
Mr D Joseph (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
How many (a) home schools are registered in each province and (b)
learners are registered at these schools? CW98E
RESPONSE:
Home education is nationally recognised in South Africa in terms of the
South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996) (âSASA) and the Policy for
the Registration of Learners for Home Education (âthe 1999 policyâ).[1] The
National Development Plan 2030 lists âhome schoolsâ as providers of primary
and secondary education.[2]
The legislative scheme of SASA divides schools into two categories: public
and independent. School is defined as âa public school or independent
school which enrolls learners in one or more grades from grade R
(Reception) to grade 12â (s. 1). Enrolment of a learner in a grade between
grade R and grade 12 is thus the defining mark of a school.
Home education is not a form of independent schooling.
Home education does not mean registration of a school but rather
registration of learners who are receiving education from home under the
direction of a learnerâs parent. This may include tutorial or other
educational support services secured by the parent. A site refers to a
home and can include more than one learner per family.
a) and b) The number of sites and learners registered for home education
per province are provided in the table below. The total number of
districts in which sites are located are also provided:
|Province |Number of |Number of |Number of |
| |Districts that |Registered Home |Registered |
| |have registered |Education Sites |Learners |
| |sites | | |
|EC |12 |306 |395 |
|FS |5 |1076 |1723 |
|GT |15 |Not provided |646 |
|KZN |12 |328 |420 |
|LP |1 |1 |1 |
|MP |4 |184 |294 |
|NC |Not available |Not available |18 |
|NW |4 |Sites not |13 |
| | |registered | |
|WC |8 |115 |127 |
|TOTAL |57 |2010 |3019 |
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[1] Department of Education. Policy for the Registration of Home Education,
determined by the Minister of Education and published as Government Notice
1411 in Government Gazette No. 20659, 23 November 1999.
[2] National Planning Commission, National Development Plan 2030 â Our
Future: Make it Work (Pretoria, 2012), Fig. 9.1, p. 297.