How to switch a child to external study

Aging teachers in schools, bullying by classmates, overcrowded classrooms, outdated textbooks, and a thoroughly rotten education system push some parents to seek alternative ways for their children to gain knowledge. For instance, foreign languages can be studied at www.ispeak-school.by. Other subjects can be mastered at home.

Home schooling requires gathering a vast amount of certificates and passing a medical commission that confirms the child cannot study in a group setting. This is a complex and lengthy process.

External study

Studying as an external student is much simpler. At least, that is what the Ministry of Education of Ukraine promises.

In reality, switching to external study is also not easy. School principals are very reluctant to issue the corresponding order and are ready to do anything to make parents give up on this idea.

For those who have decided to see it through, it is important to know that the school administration will drag out the process for several weeks or even months under one pretext or another. This is confirmed by many parents who attempted to enrol their child as an external student.

Only a handful manage to see it through. The key is to have perseverance and strong nerves.

Transfer plan

So, to effect the transfer, a series of steps must be taken:

·         A statement addressed to the school principal. The form is available on the Ministry of Education website. In case of refusal, one should refer to Order No. 369 dated 13 March 2017. By law, only one parent writes the statement. However, in practice, a separate statement from each parent may be required.

·         Registration of the statement. The school secretary must register the statement in the logbook. A stamp with the registration number is placed on the second copy, which remains with the parents. This allows proving that the statement was submitted.

·         Order. Based on the statement, an order is signed transferring the child to external study. Subsequently, a plan for consultations and exams is drawn up; these can be taken not only at the end of the academic year but also mid-year, as soon as the child has mastered the material.

In case of refusal to accept the statement, the sudden disappearance of the registration logbook, etc., the police should be called immediately. Usually, after demonstrating the act of dialling the number, staff suddenly find the logbook and register the statement. If this does not happen, it is still worth calling the police. For a complaint to the prosecutor's office and the district education department, the mere fact of calling the police and recording the refusal will be sufficient.

Once all stages are completed, textbooks can be collected from the school, and the child can be studied with at home, in conditions comfortable for them.