Compulsory Education Age
5 to 16 years old
Number of Homeschooling Families:
Unknown
Legal Status
Homeschooling is legal in Antigua and Barbuda. The Education Act of 2008 states that parents may choose “home schooling ... private schooling, or public schooling for their children” (§ 21). Section 81 of the Education Act outlines the regulations for homeschooling, including annual registration with the Director of Education and an educational plan for each child. The law also gives the Director of Education authority to assess students’ achievements on “a regular basis.”
In 2020, the Education (Amendment) Act made two significant changes to the law.
First, the law now requires that the initial education plan “...be prepared and provided to the Director of Education three months or such shorter period as the Director deems necessary, prior to the commencement of the home education program.”
Second, “[t]he educational plan shall be for a minimum period of one school year or such shorter period as the Director deems necessary, and shall cover every year of the home education program”.