Homeschooling in Singapore Guide and Curriculum

In Singapore, homeschooling is not a common practice due to the Compulsory Education Act. This law mandates that all Singaporean children who are 6 years old must be enrolled in a local primary school. This ensures that children receive a formal education and are prepared for primary school education starting in January.

This means that for those families wishing to homeschool instead, must apply for permission to do so. This is done through the Ministry of Education (MOE) – Compulsory Education Unit (CEU). Homeschooled children can be granted an exemption from compulsory education.

The timeframe to apply for an exemption is between July and October, so you may need to concurrently enroll your child in school as well as apply to homeschool. CEU officers do advise parents to register with a national primary school even if you are wishing to homeschool to ensure that your child has a place at school in the event your exemption is not granted. Given this, you may need to actually register at your local school in June or July before even making the initial call to the Ministry of Education.

Singaporean Residents who wish to homeschool are required to submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV) as part of the application process for the CEU (Compulsory Education Unit). It is recommended to prepare this CV beforehand to feel more confident in your ability to educate your children at home. It is important to note that the Ministry of Education (MOE) requires homeschooling parents to hold a degree. However, exceptions can be made if parents can demonstrate their dedication to providing a high-quality education for their children.

• The first thing you need to do is register with the Ministry of Education (MOE). You will have to fill out an application form which includes details such as your name, address, contact information, etc.
• After receiving approval from MOE, you will then need to apply for a teaching license. This process involves filling out another form and paying a fee. If you are planning to teach your child up to grade 12, you will also need to pay a $1,000 annual licensing fee.
• Once you have registered with MOE, you will receive a letter from them stating that they have received your application. This means that you are now officially registered as a home schooler.
• To register with MOE, you must first complete a self-declaration form. This form states that you are aware of the rules and regulations regarding home schooling. It also states that you understand that you are responsible for ensuring that your children are safe while at home.
• After registering, you will also need to apply for a Certificate of Registration (COR) from the Department of Social Services (DSS).
• Once you have registered, you will receive a letter stating that you have been approved as a home educator. You will then need to provide proof of your qualifications and enrolment details.
• DSS will then issue you with a COR after they verify your registration with MOE.
• You will then need to provide proof of enrolment at your child’s current school.

There are two main ways you can homeschool in Singapore.

• One is by enrolling your child in an approved private school.
• Another option is to teach your child yourself.

However, both options require approval from the Ministry of Education if you are a Singaporean resident.

My Homeschool is based on the Charlotte Mason method which is favoured by families globally, with thousands choosing to educate their children using this tried and true method. With My Homeschool you can homeschool with the confidence that you are offering your child a rigorous education alongside hundreds of others within our international community.

Yes, we consider the Australian Curriculum but that offers a global approach that many families appreciate. In addition, no more fussing around looking for region specific materials because we are happy to offer our international families global goodies for you to choose from.  We appreciate that our Singaporean families need to strike the right balance, including a focus on South-East Asia as well as international studies, so we give you a generous amount of resources to help you do just that.

We appreciate that you may wish to include bilingual resources and can help you with that. We also include aspects of Asian history in many of our grades and are pleased to offer Geography options that feature both global studies and the geography of Asia, that includes both physical and cultural geography topics.

Not sure how to address history and civics specific to Singapore? We can help with that too, no matter what age your child is, we have an online library that you can choose from to introduce these topics to your child, whether they are in primary or secondary school.

On the purchase of each graded course you receive a range of resources, all designed for you to homeschool well. This includes a planning template specific to that grade, as well as a Scope and Sequence to better understand how the course is structured.  These tools allow you to better identify where you may wish to swap out topics to respond to the needs of your international family.

Worried about getting organised? There is no need!  We provide a Weekly Planner with each graded course that you can print out so you know exactly where you are and what you will cover each and every week of the semester.  This is also provided online for those who need to check progress while on the go.

Both the Scope and Sequence and planning template will also serve to support you if you are intending to apply for a Compulsory Education exemption. Applying for an exemption requires parents to provide several details, one of which is their planned curriculum. The My Homeschool Scope and Sequence helps you with his and the regular progress reports that the Ministry for Education require are also covered.

With My Homeschool we have attended to all the details we know make all the difference. We know that end of term can be a busy time so we provide you with Term Report templates to help you report on the progress of your child through the term.  This is a powerful tool for parents, allowing them to know exactly how their children are going.  This, combined with the Scope and Sequence, can help you to ensure that your child is meeting the appropriate requirements, which gives you further confidence to homeschool well. It also assists Singaporean children being homeschooled in Singapore because they are required to sit the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in English, Mathematics, Science and a Second Language all at Standard Level and an additional test in Primary 4 (My Homeschool Year 4).  For those expatriate families that don’t legally have to send their children to Singapore, or apply for the exemption, these resources give you peace of mind that your child is receiving a high-quality education.

One of the hurdles all new homeschooling parents have, whether it’s short, or long term homeschooling, is knowing what is appropriate for their child. So, make a simple start. You will learn as you go.

Follow a basic guide at first for your homeschooling curriculum. As you get a feel for homeschooling, you will become more comfortable with what you are doing and you can make changes along the way.

Get to know how you like to teach and how your child learns. This will help you choose a curriculum in the future.

Don’t rush off and buy everything recommended. Get free a prospectus or samples when possible. Resist the temptation to purchase your curriculum from the newsagent or book store. There are many that will suit your needs better.

Singapore Maths

Ranked top in the world for Maths, Singaporeans need look no further than your own home grown math curricula. In fact many homeschoolers choose to use Singapore Maths as their preferred curriculum.

At My Homeschool we only provide a math curriculum up to Grade 2 – from then we recommend you get your own curriculum – and for that we always recommend a Singapore Maths resource.

Pre Done Curriculum or Make Your Own Curriculum

Most newbies prefer to buy a pre done curriculum so look around and see who has a package you like. You can always go DIY later once you find your feet.