On 27 July 2025, Cape Home Educators (CHE) sent a letter to the Western Cape Education Minister in response to statements made at the PCBE meeting on 24 July. The concerns related to the WCED’s proposed online homeschool registration platform.

In response, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) held a meeting with home educators on 31 July 2025.

Key Discussion Points at the Meeting

Clarification from WCED:

Mr. Alan Meyer, Deputy Director-General of the WCED, issued an apology for earlier statements at the PCBE meeting. His comments were based on outdated information.  He committed to sending formal letters to both the PCBE and the homeschooling community to set the record straight.

He clarified that:

Parental qualifications and random home visits will not be part of the registration system. That information was inaccurate and has since been corrected.

However, the online system will still require information about the curriculum used by families. The purpose is to check for “some alignment” with CAPS, helping learners who may return to school later.  

Concerns Raised by Homeschoolers:

The way officials will evaluate whether a curriculum is "aligned" with CAPS remains a problem that needs to be addressed. The law is vague and likely to be interpreted differently by officials across the country.

Parents objected to being forced to choose from restricted curriculum and grade lists, noting that the system is designed to accommodate only rigid, grade-based progression. It does not support asynchronous learning, making it difficult to conduct flexible end-of-phase assessments. These limitations reduce the adaptability and personalisation that are core to home education.

Marietjie Ueckermann (CHE) warned that if the WCED enforces decisions that override parents, it should also be accountable for educational outcomes.

CHE’s Response and Proposal:

Bouwe van der Eems (CHE) expressed concern that compulsory universal registration through state control undermines parental authority. This concern was echoed by a comment from an MK representative at the PCBE meeting, who urged the WCED to support parents rather than act like a “policeman.”

CHE earlier proposed an automated, voluntary registration system as a constructive alternative to compulsory universal registration.

Mr. Meyer welcomed the idea and asked CHE to resubmit the proposal for further discussion. 

Path Forward:

Mr. Meyer proposed that the Joint Liaison Committee (JLC) meet quarterly to find ways of implementing the BELA Act without infringing on parental rights. This proposal was enthusiastically accepted by all participants.

Survey Results: Homeschooling Families Reject State Overreach

Ahead of the meeting, CHE conducted a survey among homeschooling families regarding the WCED director’s earlier statements on:

Key Findings:

Families overwhelmingly rejected the WCED’s top-down approach to registration.

Respondents strongly supported:

While most opposed state control, some respondents supported the idea of balanced, community-driven accountability.

Final Outcome: Encouraging Progress

The meeting offered positive developments:

Parents can continue homeschooling with peace of mind.
Enforcement of restrictive registration requirements remains difficult.
Even with the BELA Act in effect, engaged and informed parents have many opportunities to influence how it is implemented.

Cape Home Educators remain fully committed to: