Home schooling

When the child is recovering and goes home, there is collaboration between the school at the hospital, the school he was used to attend and home schooling. Thus, the child can maintain contact with teachers he has known during his hospital stay and the purpose of continuity will prepare him better for his return to school.

Special education provided at home by the French Community

One must not confuse home schooling and special education provided at home with distance learning. The home schooling and special education provided at home meet academic requirements. On the other hand, the registration in distance education (better known as "correspondence courses") requires a declaration of home schooling to be in compliance with compulsory education. (cf. p.9 Circular 1560 of the Directorate General of Compulsory Education).

Under certain defined conditions, a young student is entitled to an education at home organized by the French Community. To qualify for home schooling, the child must be in age of compulsorily attending school, be unable to be transported, be unable to receive (due to the nature and severity of his disability) any other form of special education and to have received a positive authorization issued by the Advisory Board of Special Education Specialist (Commission Consultative de l'Enseignement Spécialisé). The teaching is given in agreement with schools, based on a curriculum accredited by the French Community.

The child is entitled to 4 hours of classes per week that should have been given by the special education school located the closest as possible from home. However, it is sometimes difficult to enforce the law. In this case, associations are often contacted. In the context of young patients, the teaching will be primarily given by a school located at the hospital.

Formalities

Applications for special education given at home are to be submitted to the administration of special education, at the request of the person exercising parental authority or a member of the School Inspectorate. The record may be supplemented by information provided by doctors.

Legal References

Decree of March 3rd, 2004, art. 125, 6.

Decree of March 3rd, 2004, Chapter XI.

Decree of December 18th, 1984 organizing the distance education of the French Community.

Royal Decree on the coordination of laws on primary education, Article 8.

Home education in the Flemish Community (Decree 27/07/1999)

Students subscribed in regular and special education may receive temporary home schooling. A school can organize, at any time and by its own initiative, education for sick children. School of type 5 are not entitled to hold a temporary teaching. However, certain conditions are to be respected:

Children without chronic illness

Duration of absence

The student must be absent from school for a period of at least 21 consecutive days due to an illness or an accident. If the student has returned to the school afterwards and gets ill again (within three months), he doesn’t need to wait for qualifying for a temporary home education. In calculating the 21 days, vacation periods are valid.

Written request by parents and medical certificate

A student who is absent from school for a period of at least 21 consecutive days due to an illness or an accident and cannot attend part-time school is also entitled to home education. The student must have a medical certificate from his attending physician, stating that he is unable to attend school more than a part-time period per week but that he can follow home education. Parents must send the medical certificate to the school. If there is an extension of home education, they must reapply.

Distance between school and the child’s home

The school must organise classes at home when the distance between the child's home and his school is less than 10 kilometres. If the child attends a special school, this distance is increased to 20 kilometres. If the child lives more than 20 kilometres from school, the school may organize home schooling (if it has the possibility). The State subsidizes the services of teachers and their travel expenses.

What if the conditions for home schooling are not met?

A school may still organise lessons at home, by its own initiative, even if the child does not qualify for home schooling. In this case, the hours of additional courses will not be subsidized.

Children with chronic illness

Since January 1st, 2007, chronically ill children should no longer be absent from their school for a period of 21 consecutive days. A medical certificate from the attending physician is sufficient to determine that a chronically ill child shall not await a waiting period in order to have home schooling. As from 9 half days of absence from school, the student is entitled to 4 hours of temporary home schooling. The hours can be recorded and taken later. The school must count the number of days of absence.

Warning: under the term "chronic disease", the law means “a continuous or recurring illness for which treatment is required for at least 6 months”.