Lesufi: Home schooling must be scrutinised

He  was speaking in Johannesburg, ahead of a Parliamentary Portfolio committee oversight tour of schools in the province. 

He says parents abuse the home schooling model.

“We are of the view that indeed there is an abuse of this form of system. Because of religion, people do not want their children to be part of the broader society. There are some people who believe their children cannot mix with other children and therefore we believe there must be a review of this home schooling system “says Lesufi.

Lesufi says parents cannot replace teachers.

“If a parent we have not screened, can replace eight teachers and say they teach their children on their own, are we convinced that these children are not used to exclude them from social cohesion?” says Lesufi

A parent who did not want to be named says they home school their kids because they want them to be the best they can be.

“We are not trying to replace teachers, we want to give our children the best of themselves. We have a curriculum, I teach them what I want them to learn but they have a big input on what they want to learn. They are my directors” she says.

The parents says she cannot be identified because she  fears intimidation from the department of education.

She says home schooling allows her children to learn in an environment that helps them be assertive. 

“We are doing this because there is nowhere our children are learning to be themselves. There is nowhere our children are being taught that what they are is enough. Our home schooled children are able to have conversations with grown-ups about real life, they are not scared of people and are able to have opinions and stand their ground” she says .