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Home education in French Guiana

Home schooling for sick or injured pupils and pregnant minors

The Departmental Association for Pupils in State Education (the Association Départementale des Pupilles de l’Enseignement Public or ADPEP) supplements state education provision in French Guiana, managing a Home Education Service to ensure that pregnant minors and sick or injured pupils do not miss out on schooling.

Preventing early dropout and isolation

The Home Education Service (Service d’Assistance Pédagogique à Domicile or SAPAD) was set up by French Guiana's education authorities and is managed by the ADPEP. Its mission is to prevent pupils who fall ill or are involved in an accident from dropping out of school. The system is also designed to help pregnant minors on maternity leave. French Guiana has a high rate of pregnancy among minors (around 200 girls per year).

Goals of the Home Education Service:

  • To keep the educational link between the pupil and his/her school
  • To organize educational support, provided wherever possible by the pupils' teachers, to prepare them for their return to class
  • To recognize what the pupils have learned during their absence from school
  • To maintain the pupils' social links with their classmates

Home schooling

The home schooling work done by volunteer teachers is coordinated by the Home Education Service, in conjunction with the families and in partnership with the various stakeholders (schools, doctors, psychologists, midwives).

This service is free of charge for families.

Home schooling complements state education provision and ensures that all sick or injured pupils are guaranteed a right to education.

Involvement of the Air Liquide Foundation

The Foundation is financing the computer equipment loaned to the pupils for their home schooling.