There is a guide to becoming a homeschool teacher in Ireland. There are certain things to know and certain qualifications to have. This article will tell you all you need to know.
Minimum education
In Ireland, parents have the right to homeschool their children, as long as the children receive at least a minimum level of education. This does not require a formal teaching qualification, nor does it require the child to follow a national curriculum. However, it is important to note that parents are the primary educators of their children. The constitution of Ireland guarantees the right of parents to educate their kids.
Legality
Homeschooling in Ireland is entirely legal. However, you must register your child with the Child and Family Agency (CFA), the government agency that handles child protection, adoption and domestic abuse. While the law is complex, homeschooling is treated as equal to regular schooling.
Fees
If you are considering homeschooling in Ireland, there are several factors you will need to consider. First, you will need to register with Tusla, which is the Irish government’s agency for home education. Once you have registered, you can begin homeschooling your child. However, you should understand that there is a significant backlog of over 1,000 applications. Tusla attributes the recent spike in applications to the recent Covid-19 pandemic and positive experiences experienced during school closures.
Registration with Tusla
If you are a parent who is in the process of homeschooling your child, registering with Tusla for approved age to home school in Ireland may be a good idea. The agency oversees the homeschooling process and may require a Comprehensive Assessment of your child’s educational progress. The assessment may also require an ongoing monitoring assessment. During this phase, Tusla may also ask you for information about your future educational plans for your child.
Parental consent
Parents in Ireland may want to homeschool their children, but they need to seek the local authority’s permission first. They can do this in a letter, explaining the reasons for homeschooling the child and stating their initial ideas for their child’s education. The local authority must reply to this request within six weeks. In most cases, they will grant consent.
Off-rolling schools
The age that your child is legally permitted to homeschool in Ireland is six years old. While this may seem early to you, children are naturally curious and eager to learn. At this age, children have already learned to walk, crawl, and roll, and have made thousands of internal connections. They want to know everything they can about the world, and you are only providing an avenue for that learning. If you’re considering homeschooling in Ireland, the first step is to get registered with Tusla.