You've made the decision to homeschool. You've thought it through, weighed it up, and you're confident it's the right move for your child. Then you sit down to actually start the process and realise you're not entirely sure where to begin. Which office do you contact? Is there a specific form? Does it cost anything? If you're wondering "where can I register my child for homeschooling", the good news is that the process is far more manageable than it first appears when you know exactly what to do.
Parents who have already enrolled with an accredited online school like CambriLearn have a recognised curriculum in place before they even begin the provincial application. That single step removes one of the most common stumbling blocks in the registration process: having to describe and justify your educational programme from scratch. This guide walks you through the full process step by step, from understanding the legal framework to maintaining your records once approval comes through.
What the law actually requires for home education in South Africa
Home education in South Africa is governed by the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, which makes school attendance compulsory for children aged 7 to 15, or until they complete Grade 9. Home education is a legally recognised alternative to attending a public or independent school, provided the parent obtains formal approval from the provincial Head of Department. Parents do not have an automatic right to withdraw a child from school and begin teaching at home without registering. Operating without approval puts you in breach of the compulsory attendance provisions, which can expose you to enforcement action. See the Department of Basic Education's home education page for official guidance (Department of Basic Education: Home Education, https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx).
Registration is not a bureaucratic hurdle for its own sake. It formalises your responsibility to provide an equivalent standard of education and gives your child's learning an official standing. An approved home-education record can help when applying for university or re-entering schooling; parents should keep provable records (DBE: Home Education guidance, https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx).
Where can I register my child for homeschooling, which authority to contact
Home education registration is handled at provincial level, not national. You register your learner for home education with the Provincial Education Department (PED) in the province where your child lives. The Department of Basic Education's national office hosts the application forms and guidance on its website, but the actual decision and written approval comes from the provincial Head of Department. Do not submit your application to the national DBE office.
The table below lists the main contact details for all nine provincial departments. When you call, ask specifically for the home education unit or directorate within the department. These units sit inside larger provincial structures, and reaching the right team directly saves a great deal of time. For official contact listings, consult the National Government Directory (https://www.gov.za/about-government/contact-directory/provincial-departments/education) and confirm details, as numbers and addresses can change.
ProvinceTelephonePhysical addressEastern Cape040 608 4200Steve Vukile Tshwete Education Complex, Zone 6, Zwelitsha, Free State 051 404 800055 Elizabeth Street, FS Provincial Government Building, Bloemfontein, Gauteng 011 355 0000 / 0800 000 789 (toll-free)17 Simmonds Street, Marshalltown, Johannesburg, KwaZulu-Natal 033 846 5000 / 0800 204 353 (call centre)247 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg, Limpopo 015 290 7611 / 0800 265 266 (toll-free)Corner of Biccard and Excelsior Streets, Polokwane, Mpumalanga 013 766 7066Contact the provincial office directly for the current street addressNorth West 018 388 2970Corner of Walter Sisulu and Dr James Moroka Drive, Mmabatho, Mahikeng, 2735, Northern Cape 053 839 6500IK Nkoane Education House, 156 Barkly Road, Homestead, Kimberley, Western Cape 0861 819 9191 North Wharf Square, 2 Lower Loop Street, Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001
Documents you need to include in your application
Every provincial department requires the completed application form alongside a set of certified supporting documents. The core set is consistent across provinces:
- A certified copy of the learner's birth certificate
- A certified copy of the learner's most recent school report, signed by the principal (where applicable)
- A certified copy of the parent/guardian's identity document
- Proof of residence
- A transfer certificate from the previous school (where applicable)
- A motivation letter explaining your reasons for choosing home education
The most detailed part of the application is the description of your educational programme. Departments typically expect you to set out the subjects your child will study, the weekly teaching hours per subject, the assessment methods you will use, any extra-mural activities, and any tutor or external support arrangements. This section is where many applications run into difficulty, particularly when parents are putting together a curriculum independently without a formal structure to reference. See the DBE's home education registration requirements for examples of the level of detail expected (DBE: Home Education, https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx).
There are additional documents for specific circumstances. Foreign nationals must include certified copies of the child's passport and relevant permit documentation. Learners with special educational needs require a certified assessment document or referral letter from a medical practitioner. Where a child is in alternative care, the relevant court order confirming guardianship must be included. As a general rule, many provinces specify that certified copies must be no older than three months at the time of submission; check your Provincial Education Department's latest instructions to confirm.
How to get the form and submit your application
Application forms are available on the Department of Basic Education's official home education webpage. Forms for all nine provinces are listed there, and you must download the form for the province in which your child resides. To avoid delays, download the latest home education application form PDF from the DBE site (DBE: Home Education, https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx). Provincial forms differ from one another. The Free State uses the FS 455B form, Limpopo has a dedicated new application form for home education, and the Western Cape uses the Education@Home application form. Always check the DBE website directly to confirm you are using the most current version; submitting an outdated form is a common cause of unnecessary delays.
How to submit your home education application (where to register)
Once you have completed the form and prepared your certified supporting documents, submit the full package to your provincial education department's head office or the relevant district office. There is no application fee. Processing commonly takes up to 30 days; some provinces indicate that if no decision is communicated within 60 days, a deemed-approval or conditional-approval process may apply. Always confirm timelines with your provincial department and keep written proof of submission (DBE: How to apply for home education SA, https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx). If your application is refused, the department must notify you in writing and provide reasons. You then have 14 days to appeal to the MEC. Keep copies of everything you submit, including proof of submission, whether by email delivery confirmation or a stamped acknowledgement of receipt.
Your legal duties once registration is approved
Approval is not the end of your obligations; it marks the beginning of a continuing set of responsibilities. As a registered home-educating parent, you are required to maintain a record of your learner's daily attendance, a portfolio of the learner's work showing evidence of learning throughout the year, up-to-date progress records, and evidence of continuous assessment. These records must be kept for at least three years and must be available to the Head of Department for monitoring. The record-keeping duty applies throughout the compulsory schooling phase, from Grades 1 to 9 (DBE: Home Education monitoring, https://www.education.gov.za/Programmes/HomeEducation.aspx).
At the end of Grades 3, 6 and 9, the close of the Foundation, Intermediate and Senior Phases, you are required to have your child assessed by an independent, appropriately qualified assessor and to submit that assessor's report to the Head of Department. Provinces commonly require assessors to be registered with SACE (the South African Council for Educators) or to hold a relevant qualification aligned to the National Qualifications Framework under the NQF Act; check your PED's current rules (SACE, https://www.sace.org.za/; SAQA on the NQF, https://www.saqa.org.za/). Identify your assessor well before the end of each phase, since these submissions are the principal accountability checkpoints in the South African home education framework. Western Cape guidance also requires quarterly report cards and mark schedules for these grades to be submitted for provincial promotional schedules (confirm with the Western Cape Education Department).
How an accredited homeschooling programme makes this process easier
One of the most common reasons home education applications are delayed or questioned is an incomplete programme description. Provincial departments want to see structured, assessable and recognisable instruction. Parents who attempt to compile their own curriculum from individual resources often find it difficult to present this section of the application clearly and credibly. Enrolling with an accredited homeschooling provider means the curriculum documentation, subjects, assessment structure and indicative teaching hours are already defined, giving you a precise and credible answer to this part of the form.
CambriLearn is an accredited online school and homeschooling provider. For South African families, CambriLearn offers CAPS-aligned pathways that support preparation for the National Senior Certificate through recognised examination bodies and centres. For internationally mobile families based in South Africa, the UAE, the UK or elsewhere, CambriLearn also offers International British curriculum courses, including Pearson Edexcel-aligned options. When you enrol with CambriLearn, you have a fully documented programme to reference directly in your provincial application. In addition, the platform provides tools to track progress and compile the evidence you need for provincial monitoring and phase-end assessments from the start.
Putting it all together
The registration process comes down to five clear steps: understand your legal obligations under the South African Schools Act; contact your Provincial Education Department's home education unit; gather your certified supporting documents; download and complete the correct provincial form from the DBE website; and, once approved, maintain your records and arrange your phase assessments at the end of Grades 3, 6 and 9. The entire process costs nothing to complete.
If you're still asking "where can I register my child for homeschooling", remember: you apply to the Provincial Education Department where your child resides, using the provincial form listed on the DBE site. Choosing an accredited homeschooling programme before you register simplifies the paperwork considerably and sets up a compliant, well-supported home education from the start. The most demanding section of the application, the programme description, becomes straightforward when your curriculum is already formally structured and recognised.
If you'd like to explore the curriculum pathways CambriLearn offers and find out how enrolment works, click here to speak with an admissions adviser. The team works with families in multiple countries, including South Africa, the UAE and the UK, and can help you choose the right pathway before you begin the provincial registration process.
