🌿 Homeschooling (Part 1): A Simple Guide for Parents

Planting Seeds of Independence for the Next Generation.
Across the world, more parents are exploring homeschooling, not because school is ‘bad,’ but because it doesn’t always fit every child’s pace, style, or needs. If you’re curious about this journey, here’s what you should know.

Why I Began Questioning Schooling.
Schooling as we know it hasn’t really changed since its foundations in the Prussian education system of the 18th and 19th centuries.  It was structured to train obedient workers and loyal citizens for the state.  Centuries later, the conditioning is still geared toward conformity, not independence.  It was never designed to make us financially free or to nurture independent thinking.  While some thrive in that system, many never break free from its mould.

My grandchildren dread school.  Since I am raising them, I began to wonder if my purpose is to set this generation free from that conditioning.  My children were meant to do better, but there are no coincidences in life.  I believe it is now my responsibility to change the trajectory for my grandchildren, to give them liberation of their minds, the freedom to remain children, and the strength to grow into adults who can stand up for what they believe in.

Our school system is built on fear, as is so much in the world around us.  Is it any wonder that only a few of us grow up resolute in our beliefs?  The deeper question is: what have we truly been conditioned to be?

Encounters That Changed My Path.

When you start asking questions, answers appear.  I firmly believe every step and every encounter is pre-ordained.  On 30 August 2025, my grandkids and I attended an Open Day at my daughter’s Culinary School.  Afterwards, on a warm Saturday, we visited the Botanical Gardens in Pretoria.  There, Isaiah made friends with a boy his age (whose mother was homeschooling him). We struck up a conversation, exchanged numbers, and suddenly what had been a dream gained real momentum.

She later shared resources that opened the door for me to take homeschooling seriously.  Now, God willing, I’m preparing to begin this journey in 2026, and to share it with you.

Getting Started with Homeschooling (South Africa)

Curriculum Options
Below are the American homeschool curricula (printable at your own cost).  In addition, South African public school workbooks are freely available.

Extra Resources
This site hosts a wide range of educational resources

• https://wcedeportal.co.za/learner-resources-for-in-classroom-use

 Why These Resources Matter

• Legal protection: Pestalozzi Trust helps families handle the paperwork and any legal hurdles.
• Curriculum flexibility: Some parents stick with Department of Education workbooks.  Others explore alternatives like The Good and the Beautiful.
• Free support: Provincial departments (like the WCED) often have resources that can save you money and time.

 Passing It Forward

Every family’s journey looks different, but you don’t have to figure it out alone.  These resources can help you take the first steps with confidence.

When I began exploring homeschooling, I met parents who shared their resources and their wisdom generously.  As the saying goes: When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

May your search be guided, and may these resources—and my reflections here—help light the way as you consider homeschooling for your family.

In future posts, I’ll be unpacking topics like:
• The legal basics of homeschooling in South Africa
• Why parents choose it.  The benefits & challenges
• Practical how-tos; registration, curriculum choices, and support groups
• Resources and links from official Department of Education to local communities and helpful downloads.
After all, who says learning only happens between four walls and a bell?

If you’re ready to explore further, join the conversation in our Homeschooling Community WhatsApp Group where real parents share real stories, questions, and small victories every day.
👉 Join here Holding Hands with Like-minded Parents

With love and faith in the next generation,
🕊️ Eugene Marillier

If this post encouraged you in your homeschooling journey or stirred questions in your heart, I’d love to hear from you.
You’re welcome to leave a comment below or email me directly at books@eugenemarillier.com
Please know; I respond personally when I can. Even if my reply is delayed, I am still holding space and lifting up homeschooling families. 🕊️

In case you missed;
Part 2 🌿 Clearing the Fog for Parents
Part 3, 🌿 Special Needs Schooling in South Africa
Part 4, 🌿 The Legal, Practical & Personal Side

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Contrary to popular belief; The modern school system (rows of desks, bells, age-graded classrooms, standardized curricula) didn’t pop up after World War I.

Its roots go much earlier, to the Prussian education system in the 18th–19th centuries.  Prussia built a state-run, compulsory schooling model designed to create disciplined, obedient citizens and soldiers.

Industrialising nations (including the UK, USA, and eventually South Africa) copied aspects of it during the 1800s.  The goal was less about “liberating minds” and more about producing reliable workers for factories and orderly citizens for the nation-state.

By the time World War I ended (1918), most Western countries already had systems in place modeled after this earlier Prussian/industrial model.