NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) — The Bahamas government says it is taking a bold step to regularize home schooling in country.

Home schooling has become a growing trend worldwide and many Bahamians have decided to home-school their children. Over the years, the Ministry of Education has gathered sufficient information regarding home schooling in The Bahamas and is now putting policies in place to regularise the practice.

Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald told a news conference that this is not an attempt to discourage home schooling but to ensure that students who are home-schooled are not disadvantaged.

“Let me make it clear that we are not discouraging the practice nor are we anti-home schooling. With the emergence of home schooling there is a multiplicity of curricula being used and we want to ensure that the curricula and instruction meet the standards of the Ministry of Education.”

Official registration process begins on Monday.

President of the Bahamas Home-school Association, Pastor Cedric Moss, said the association is appreciative that the Ministry of Education had taken a common sense approach to regulate home schooling in the country.

“We are grateful that the Ministry has taken a common sense, light touch to regulation.” He also recognized that the initiative is meant to enhance and add value and not frustrate. “It is clear that the objective is to facilitate, not frustrate parents and guardians who home-school their children.”