A bill has been submitted to the People’s Majlis proposing amendments to the Education Act to allow homeschooling for children unable to attend traditional classes due to physical disabilities or mental health conditions. Sponsored on behalf of the government by ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) MP for Huraa constituency, Dr. Anara Naeem, the first reading of the proposed legislation was formally held on the parliamentary floor on Monday.
Under the proposed amendments, home-based education will be permitted following dedicated assessments evaluating the severity of a child’s physical or psychological condition. The Ministry of Education will be legally mandated to establish regulatory frameworks, register authorized homeschooling providers or programs, set operational criteria, and conduct regular monitoring to ensure compliance with national standards.
The bill outlines three mandatory criteria that students must meet to qualify for home schooling exemptions. The child must be demonstrably unable to attend a school facility due to a documented disability or special circumstance, their guardians must possess the financial capacity to facilitate a structured homeschooling program, and the child must remain formally registered with a school within the formal education system.
For children whose medical or special needs prevent them from receiving formal instruction even within a home environment, the proposed legislation empowers the ministry to set clear benchmarks under which compulsory education requirements would not be legally mandated. In addition, the amendment seeks to redefine and clarify the statutory roles, expectations, and administrative boundaries of school principals, teachers, and parents.
Addressing broader administrative challenges in the national educational system, the bill also incorporates provisions to streamline free school breakfast schemes for students who face difficulties accessing meals during school hours. Furthermore, the amendment legally binds the commencement of the academic school calendar to January of each year, specifying that even in the event of unforeseen delays, the academic term must start no later than the end of February.