Homeschooling

We are currently living in Australia and plan on unschooling /homeschooling our 5, 4, 2 and 5 month old.  There is a possibility of hubby getting work in Mauritius in the next 12 months or so.  I'd be keen to continue hs in Mauritius but having trouble finding anything, is it legal?? Any info you could give me would be great.  Are you living there at the moment??

Hello ladies !!

gonna check with a friend who does hs and let you know !!

Homeschooling is illegal in Mauritius. All children up to the age of 16 must attend school.

That would be great shenou, thank you.

Sabrina3 I read somewhere that it was illegal for citizens of Mauritius but maybe not for others????

Thanks for any info you can give

It's illegal for anyone (not only Mauritian citizens) who wants to enter the Mauritian school system.
Regarding the Australian system, it seems that you must register your kids for home schooling. Check this out: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-28/t … ng/3798008

Hello,

Does someone know the risk if we do hs in Mauritius ? Is it really dangerous ?

thanks for your answer.

Regarding homeschooling, there are many nations where it is illegal (regulated by both civil and criminal laws) in some nations the penalties are very severe ranging from heavy fines and/or confinement and possible temporary loss of custody of the children involved if parents refuse to comply with the laws. Note that regardless of what anyone may tell you, the mere fact that you are an expat will not spare you from the full force of the laws that exist in any particular nation.

In other nations, while not illegal the regulations make homeschooling virtually impossible by imposing numerous restrictions.

In still others homeschooling is legal, but parents wishing to have their children opt out of the public/private school systems must themselves hold a teaching certificate.

In yet other countries, it is legal and anyone may homeschool their children.

Some countries have not even addressed the issue of homeschooling in their laws, so this is a real gray area which can be almost as problematic as in countries where it's illegal.

Since homeschooling is illegal in Mauritius, there is really only one option which I suggest to everyone here in Brazil where it is also illegal and there are stiff penalties...

You are perfectly free to homeschool your children IN ADDITION TO their regular schooling in the traditional classroom setting, but not INSTEAD of it. So enroll your children in the school system and if there are any subjects that you feel are lacking or any way inadequate then supplement that with homeschooling on top of their regular classes. Nobody can hassle you over doing that and it is quite legal to do so even in countries that don't permit homeschooling.

As an educator with a career spanning over 28 years I can say from experience that there are valid reasons both FOR and AGAINST homeschooling, probably more on the FOR side of the scoreboard. That said, it is not worth running afoul of the justice system and putting yourself at considerable risk by keeping your children out of the traditional school system in countries where homeschooling is illegal.

I hope that this gives you some food for thought and will help you make an informed decision about your plans for your children's education.

Cheers,
James
Expat-blog Experts Team

We come from New Zealand where it is legal to homeschool (and has a thriving community). We are looking at going to Mauritius as expats, however have no interest in enrolling in the Mauritius schooling system. We believe in unschoolin which also goes against the idea of enrolling in a traditional school setting and "homeschooling after hours". So my question is.. If you're not interested in ever enrolling in the Mauritian system, surely you'd be exempt? Surely there must be alternatives, like if you were enrolled in a correspondence course in your home country?

Should there be no alternative, what is the legal requirement for attendance? I read in some places from 3!!!!! What are they preschool hours? I loathe the idea of the British system of tests from such a young age. There must be alternatives.

Hi there!
I am also looking for info on homeschooling in Mauritius. If anyone has any experience homeschooling there please let me know!
Thanks!

I know many people who home school their kids in Mauritius, so does this mean they are breaking the law?

Rosiewestie wrote:

I know many people who home school their kids in Mauritius, so does this mean they are breaking the law?

Are they citizens of Mauritius?
If -ve, the authorities won't even sneeze.!

External wrote:

Rosiewestie wrote:

I know many people who home school their kids in Mauritius, so does this mean they are breaking the law?

Are they citizens of Mauritius?
If -ve, the authorities won't even sneeze.!

They are a mixture of Expats and Expats married to Mauritians if that makes sense

Hello,
There have been quite some comments on the “Homeschooling in Mauritius” some 6 months ago.

Neel Replied to Purplepexie as per below extract::
“Edit: Please find below the official version from the government portal:

Compulsory education up to the age of 16
(1) Every child who has attained such age as may be prescribed for admission to a primary school shall attend a primary school.
(2) It shall be compulsory for every child to attend school up to the end of the academic year in the course of which he attains the age of 16.
(3) Any responsible party of a child under the age of 16 who, without reasonable cause, refuses or neglects to cause the child to attend school regularly in accordance with subsection (1) or (2) shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 10,000 rupees and to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years.”

In your case the 3rd point is interesting which says ‘without reasonable cause’. If you can support that homeschooling is a reasonable cause, then there is a way out. But this should be pre-approved by the ministry of education (to be on the safe side).
We have the law and the raisond’etre (rationale) of the law. The reason of the law is to enforce each and every parent to give their children a basic education (basic of children’s rights) and put the onus on the parent. If you are giving your children a basic aducation wihout enrolling in the system, then may be you can go forward with homeschooling.

I hope this is for some help to you.
Regards.

Haridasscoo wrote:

Hello,
There have been quite some comments on the “Homeschooling in Mauritius” some 6 months ago.

Neel Replied to Purplepexie as per below extract::
“Edit: Please find below the official version from the government portal:

Compulsory education up to the age of 16
(1) Every child who has attained such age as may be prescribed for admission to a primary school shall attend a primary school.
(2) It shall be compulsory for every child to attend school up to the end of the academic year in the course of which he attains the age of 16.
(3) Any responsible party of a child under the age of 16 who, without reasonable cause, refuses or neglects to cause the child to attend school regularly in accordance with subsection (1) or (2) shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 10,000 rupees and to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years.”

In your case the 3rd point is interesting which says ‘without reasonable cause’. If you can support that homeschooling is a reasonable cause, then there is a way out. But this should be pre-approved by the ministry of education (to be on the safe side).
We have the law and the raisond’etre (rationale) of the law. The reason of the law is to enforce each and every parent to give their children a basic education (basic of children’s rights) and put the onus on the parent. If you are giving your children a basic aducation wihout enrolling in the system, then may be you can go forward with homeschooling.

I hope this is for some help to you.
Regards.

Yes I have also read this Government ruling but does this not apply to Mauritian Nationals and not to Expats?
or do Expats have to stick to Mauritian schooling rules?

As I said earlier I have many friends who home school, they are a mixture of Expats and also an expat married to a Mauritian National.