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Homeschooling is education delivered outside a traditional school, where a parent or guardian takes legal responsibility for their child's learning. An estimated 300,000 children are homeschooled in South Africa. In the UK, registrations increased by 75% in 2021. The rules, curricula and costs differ by country. This page covers the fundamentals, then links to country-specific guides.
Answer four questions. We'll recommend a curriculum pathway and connect you with an education consultant.
Where does your family live?
How old is your child?
Where would you like your child to attend university?
What matters most right now?
Homeschooling is education that happens outside a registered school, with the parent or guardian responsible for ensuring the child receives adequate instruction. In most countries, this means registering with a government education department and following an approved or equivalent curriculum.
In practice, homeschooling looks different in every household. Some parents teach every subject themselves using textbooks and workbooks. Others enrol their child with a curriculum provider that supplies lesson content, assessments and teacher marking. A third group use online schools that deliver live, teacher-led lessons on a structured timetable. The child is legally registered as a homeschooler, but qualified teachers handle the actual instruction.
This last category is where parents most often get confused. A child enrolled with an online school like CambriLearn is a homeschooler in the legal sense but their experience looks more like attending school from home. The distinction matters when you're navigating registration paperwork and choosing a curriculum.
Parents searching for homeschooling information often want an online school. Others want to teach their children themselves. The table below separates the three models.
| Feature | Traditional School | Homeschooling (Parent-Led) | Online School (CambriLearn) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who teaches | Employed teachers at a physical campus | Parent, guardian or hired tutor | Qualified teachers via live & recorded lessons |
| Curriculum | Set by the school | Chosen by parent from approved options | Chosen from accredited options (6 pathways) |
| Daily schedule | Fixed school hours, Mon-Fri | Set by the family | Structured timetable, any location |
| Legal status | Default enrolment | Requires registration in most countries | Registered as homeschooling in most jurisdictions |
| Social contact | Built into the school day | Requires deliberate effort | CambriCommunity clubs, events, activities |
| Accreditation | Through the school | Through the exam body (Cambridge, IEB, SACAI) | Cognia + exam body accredited |
| Typical cost | Free (public) to R300k+/yr (SA private) | Low: materials and exam fees only | Structured annual fees, less than private school |
Cost ranges vary by country, curriculum, grade level and package tier. CAPS and IEB fees are billed in ZAR. International curricula are priced separately. See the pricing page for current rates.
The process varies by country, but four steps apply almost everywhere.
Homeschooling is legal in the majority of countries, including South Africa, the UK, the US, the UAE, and most of sub-Saharan Africa. A few countries restrict or prohibit it. In South Africa, the BELA Act (signed into law September 2024, amending the South African Schools Act of 1996) requires parents to register with their Provincial Education Department. In the UK, no registration is needed unless your child is already enrolled in a school. Each country guide below covers the exact process.
Your curriculum determines what your child studies, what exams they sit, and which universities will recognise the qualification. The main options are national curricula (CAPS in South Africa, the National Curriculum in England) and international curricula (Cambridge International GCSEs and A-Levels, Pearson Edexcel, IEB, or the US K-12 diploma). If you plan to use an online school, they'll guide you through this decision.
Most countries require some form of notification or registration. In South Africa, the BELA Act requires registration within 30 days of the Act's publication in the Government Gazette. If the education department doesn't respond within 60 days, the registration is considered successful. Some countries (like India and Kenya) have no formal registration process. The country guides below cover each case.
Your child needs a quiet workspace, a reliable internet connection (if using an online provider), and a daily routine. If you're enrolling with an online school, the school provides the timetable, lesson materials, and teacher support. If you're teaching independently, you'll need to source textbooks, plan lessons and manage assessment yourself.
The curriculum you choose shapes your child's qualification, exam schedule, and the universities open to them after graduation.
| Curriculum | Origin | Recognised In | Key Exams | Via CambriLearn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPS | South Africa | South Africa | NSC matric (via SACAI or IEB) | Yes |
| IEB | South Africa | SA, select international | NSC matric (via IEB) | Yes |
| Cambridge Int. | UK / Global | 160+ countries | International GCSE, AS-Level, A-Level | Yes, private candidate exams |
| Pearson Edexcel | UK / Global | 80+ countries | Int. GCSE, Int. A-Level | Yes, accredited centre |
| US K-12 | United States | US, NCAA | US High School Diploma | Yes, Cognia, NCAA approved |
| KABV | South Africa | South Africa | NSC matric (Afrikaans) | Yes |
Cambridge Assessment International Education operates across 10,000+ schools in 160+ countries. CambriLearn prepares students for Cambridge examinations; students sit exams as private candidates at registered centres. For Pearson Edexcel, CambriLearn holds accredited centre status.
For a detailed comparison of how each pathway leads to university admission, see the university pathways guide.
Legal status, registration process, curriculum requirements, exam options, costs and how CambriLearn supports families in each country.
Legal. Registration with Provincial Education Department required under the BELA Act (2024).
Read guide → 🇬🇧Legal. No registration required. Council notification needed if deregistering from school.
Read guide → 🇦🇪Legal for expat families. Rahhal programme in Dubai. No KHDA approval needed for international online schools.
Read guide → 🇺🇸Legal in all 50 states. Requirements vary by state.
Read guide → 🇧🇼Legal. No formal registration framework for home education.
Read guide → 🇧🇷Regulated since 2022. Families must register and students sit annual assessments.
Read guide → 🇮🇳Legal. No specific homeschooling legislation. Right to Education Act permits alternative education.
Read guide → 🇮🇩Legal. Recognised under national education law as informal education.
Read guide → 🇮🇪Legal. Registration with Tusla required. Constitutional right to home educate.
Read guide → 🇰🇪Legal. No specific regulation governing home education.
Read guide → 🇲🇾Legal with MOE exemption. Cambridge International GCSE is the dominant alternative to SPM.
Read guide → 🇲🇺Legal. Registration with the Ministry of Education required.
Read guide → 🇳🇦Legal. Registration with the Ministry of Education required.
Read guide → 🇵🇰Legal. Limited regulation. Growing community in major cities.
Read guide → 🇶🇦No restrictions for expats. Qatari citizens need MOEHE waiver under Mandatory Education Act.
Read guide → 🇵🇹Legal. Registration with local school authority and annual assessment required.
Read guide → 🇸🇬Legal with MOE exemption for citizens. Expats not subject to the Compulsory Education Act.
Read guide → 🇪🇸Legal grey area. Not banned but not recognised. Large expat homeschooling community.
Read guide → 🇹🇭Legal. Registration with local education service area office required.
Read guide → 🇿🇲Legal. Limited formal framework. International curricula commonly used.
Read guide →
