Homeschooling parents could find themselves in trouble with the law if their children are not registered with the relevant government authority or, if they try to homeschool more than six children at a time.
This reminder was issued to parents who gathered recently at the Caenwood Centre, Arnold Road in Kingston, for the Jamaica Association of Homeschoolers (JAHS) third annual conference.
In addressing the parents, acting registrar at the Independent Schools Unit at the Ministry of Education and Youth, Diana Thompson, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic caused officials at the Education Ministry to spend many nights studying other countries where homeschooling is practised, in order to formalise a system that would not contravene the existing laws in Jamaica.
Currently, the unit has responsibility for registering children over six years old who are being homeschooled. Children below that age are registered by the Early Childhood Commission.
A parent cannot homeschool more than six children at a time, and according to the Early Childhood Act, a person who has three or more children below the age of six being taught at home would have to register as operating an early childhood institution.
“You can lose your children if you are not following the law,” Thompson warned parents, while pointing to the fact that the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) would sometimes contact them to ascertain if a particular child had been registered. This is often the case when the child is not attending a formal school.
The acting registrar said there have also been cases where they are contacted by officials in the US, seeking to ascertain if a child is being homeschooled locally.
“We have had situations where we have had children who were being homsechooled in Jamaica, transitioned to the US, got themselves into trouble, and the parent had to write to us when the system checked,” she said.
Thompson said the Ministry does not formally acknowledge pod schooling. This is where multiple children are brought together in one setting and are taught by a designated tutor or a parent.
“We are not at the place where we consider pod schools, because when we look at what a pod is, it is an informal school in the US, and based on the regulations that we have seen, laws in the US do not regulate them, and in Singapore, Japan and Germany, they don’t regulate pod schools, because in most of these schools, they have many persons who are not trained,” she said. She explained that the ministry is not opposed to homeschooling parents meeting up to take their children to fun locations outside the home setting to teach them.
President of JAHS, Shane Panton, said the Association gets two to three inquiries on average weekly from parents wanting to know how to go about homsechooling their children, because of issues they are having with public schooling.
“The society actually has members all over the island. Yes, there is a strong contingent here in Kingston and neighbouring St. Catherine, but we are all over, and of course we encourage our members to get involved in the community,” he said.
The JAHS, which was officially registered in 2020, provides consultation, support, and educational advice to prospective and current homeschooling families. It also facilitates social educational interactions and networking opportunities. The Association also continues to lobby the government to establish firm policies and guidelines for homeschooling parents.
“Yes, there are some guidelines in place through the Independent Schools Unit at the Ministry of Education, and we are thankful for that. There is a registration process in place and of course that helps going forward, but we are looking to standardise that process and to have some of our burning questions and issues addressed,” Panton said during the conference.
He said there are rich rewards that comes from homeschooling, notwithstanding the fact that it is an added responsibility for parents.
“You are the principal; you are the guidance counsellor; you are the auxiliary staff; everything that goes into running a school now rests with you.”
Dr. Kai Morgan, a licensed clinical psychologist who had homeschooled her four children, spoke of some of the rewards and the challenges that comes with homeschooling.
“You know where your children are and what they are doing,” she said.
Based on feedback from parents in attendance at the conference, she said homeschooling allowed for a more flexible schedule, helps parents to cut costs and bond more with their children. Parents said they practised self care by engaging in activities like nature walks, praying, going to the gym, practising different languages, reading their Bible and gardening.
