Curacao

Compulsory Attendance Age

4–18 years old

Legal Status

In 2019 the Minister of Education launched a pilot program for homeschooling families in order to improve the legal situation in Curacao. Homeschooling is not technically recognized by law, but five families were granted permission to homeschool their children.

The Compulsory Education Act states that school attendance is mandatory for all children. The law, however, permits exemption from the compulsory education requirement in cases where the parents have religious or philosophical convictions against the direction of the schools on the respective island. To gain an exemption, parents must submit a formal request and receive an exemption from the island government. Unfortunately, exemptions are rarely granted, as education officials state that there are “sufficient public schools” on the island.