Homeschooling in India

Is homeschooling legal in India?

Homeschooling is not regulated by law in India, therefore parents can legally homeschool their children. It is important to choose a suitable curriculum that will allow your child to write exams that provide a similar qualification to the local education boards.

How does homeschooling work in India

Though homeschooling provides a flexible framework within which you can educate your child, there are certain aspects that need to be considered before you start.

Choosing a homeschooling curriculum

A curriculum is a planned sequence of instruction that a child will follow to complete their education. You will need to choose a suitable curriculum that will ensure that your child has access to the opportunities that you would want them to pursue.
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For example, a certificate obtained through the International British Curriculum will enable your child to apply to universities across the globe. Subject choice and a career assessment will also be helpful in determining which subjects your child will need to take to pursue a specific career.

Access to resources

When parents undertake homeschooling, they opt to become their child’s teacher on all subject matters. Some parents opt to use an online homeschooling platform that provides access to subject specialists and interactive learning content to alleviate some of the pressure involved with teaching.

However, it is important to remember that as a parent you will still need to be involved with your child’s education. Especially during the lower grades where they will need guidance, encouragement and support. This will mean a time and resource investment as a parent.

Writing exams

Where and how your child will write exams to receive a certificate will depend on the platform and curriculum you’ve chosen, as well as the level your child is completing. When selecting the International British Curriculum, your child will write their exams at one of the Cambridge exam centres available in 130 countries.

Benefits of homeschooling

Homeschooling is a growing education medium for parents in India for the following reasons:

Quality education to encourage academic achievement

Parents often choose homeschooling their children to ensure that they can control the quality of the content and learning. Some curriculums support this goal by focusing on teaching the child understanding, instead of the ability to repeat certain facts.

Suitable option for special needs children

Children with ADHD or children with other special learning needs (for example, children who are on the Autism spectrum) can flourish in the homeschooling environment because they can learn without stigmatization and discover their unique talents.

Talented children

Children that display special talents in music, sports or academics may have unique learning needs and will require a more flexible schedule to accommodate these needs. For example, a child who is gifted in cricket may need more time during their day to allow for their training schedule, whilst an academically gifted child may want to progress to the next course level as soon as they are done with the current one.

Homeschooling Cost in India

The cost of homeschooling will depend on the curriculum, platform, student level and the subjects you select. The Cambridge (or International British Curriculum) is the most popular homeschooling curriculum in India and the costs will be influenced by the following factors.

• Selected platform and its fees
• Textbooks
• Exam fees

The costing provided below is for illustrative purposes only, and will vary depending on the number of subjects, the examination venues, and the textbook formats you’ve elected to buy (digital copy vs. printed textbook). 

Primary stage homeschooling costs

Annual online homeschooling fees for primary stage students range between $639 and $1 839 per year for three subjects. Textbooks will cost between $100 and $200 and at this level there are no additional examination fees. 

Secondary stage and IGCSE homeschooling costs

Annual online homeschooling fees for lower secondary stage students range between $2 305 and $3 642 per year for six subjects. Textbooks will cost between $400 and $500 and there are no additional examination fees for Lower Secondary years 1 and 2. 

Annual online homeschooling fees for IGCSE students range between $2 486 and $4 968 per year for six subjects. Textbooks will cost between $300 and $400 and, depending on the examination centre, exam fees range between $1 000-$2 000 collectively.

AS Level homeschooling fees

Annual online homeschooling fees for A Level students range between $1 752 and $3 760 per year for four subjects. Textbooks will cost between $400 and $500 and, depending on the examination centre, the subject, and the exam type, exam fees range between $1 000-$2 000 collectively.