(CNS): At the end of this academic year, 141 students were registered in home-school programmes, according to the Department of Education Services, but numerous social media posts suggest that one of the main reasons is that parents are struggling to find places for their children in local schools, both public and private. Over 100 of the children staying home to learn are locals, either Caymanians or long-term residents. However, parents say resources are improving, and there are more opportunities for the kids to mix.
| Home Schooled Children 2022/2023 Academic Year by Immigration Status | ||
| Immigration Status | No. of Students | |
| Caymanian/Status Holder | 85 | |
| Dependent of Caymanian | 1 | |
| Permanent Resident Dependent | 17 | |
| Work Permit Dependent | 35 | |
| Non-Caymanian Civil Servant Dependent | 3 | |
| Total: | 141 | |
Under the Education Act, 2016, all children in Cayman between the ages of five and 17 must be in full-time education, either in school or registered as a home-schooler. A DES spokesperson told CNS that it is the parents or guardians who have the primary responsibility to ensure that their children are educated.
“Ensuring whether or not people are sending their children to school or have them registered to home school is something that the Ministry and Department are conscious that requires a multifaceted and multi-agency approach,” DES said in response to CNS questions. “For children who are dependents of ex-pat workers, their work permit will state that their dependents have to attend school.”
Children should be in school or registered as soon as possible once families are legally resident in the Cayman Islands, DES said. “The timing of this and when the next academic year begins would need to be considered as, for example, it wouldn’t necessarily make sense for a student to join a school in term 3 when the academic year is almost complete.”
Some parents want to home-school their children as a primary choice, while others use it as a stopgap as they wait for a space for their child in a particular school, according to Kathleen Spencer, a local parent involved in Cayman’s home-school network.
“Both public and private schools in Grand Cayman have reached capacity and have wait lists, and many parents are choosing to home-school while they wait for an opening for their child,” she said, noting that the DES has approved 120 applications for students to be educated at home this year.
However, as home-schooling has increased in popularity, there are more readily available curriculum providers, online schools and accessible educational resources. Spencer also pointed out that home-schooling can also be a solution for children who need additional support, since the curriculum can be tailored to provide faster or slower learning, depending on the needs of students.
And with a larger home-school community in Cayman, there is more opportunity for interaction. Spenser said that over the last year, home-schooled students have gone on a variety of field trips together. They have also taken part in sports and games, even fielding a home-school team at the inter-primary school athletics day, with the relay team coming in second.
DES Director Mark Ray attended a recent event organised by parents in the home-school community, where he congratulated the first home-school ‘graduating class’ and spoke about the many ways the DES can work with home-schoolers to provide access to resources
Spencer noted some of the accomplishments of home-schooled students, one of whom was among the NCFA finalist for Butterfield Musician of the Year; another placed first at the Rotary Club Science Fair, and one was among the ten finalists in the Rubis Top Student competition. Many others have participated in community musicals, represented the Cayman Islands nationally in their sport, or are taking college-level courses while still in middle school.
This year for the first time, twelve home-schoolers participated in the Junior Achievement: Economics for Success programme, which is taught in schools and organised by the Chamber of Commerce.
“At times, parents will need to be creative with how they meet the needs of their children,” Spencer said. “Earlier this year, several families expressed their desire to have a group Physical Education class. With no gymnasium to hold the class and no PE teacher, the group made their own PE class by renting space at Kings Sports Centre and running a parent-led class for up to 20 students each week.”
See here for more about home-schooling in the Cayman Islands.