NASSAU| A new Education Bill tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday proposes lowering the compulsory school age in The Bahamas from five to four years old.
Under the Education Bill, 2026, any child who turns four by September 30 in a calendar year would be eligible to register for preschool.
The bill would also formally enshrine an existing policy that no child can be denied access to public school because of their immigration status or that of their parents.
It further sets out the legal framework for homeschooling in The Bahamas and introduces provisions for virtual learning.
Section 23 of the bill outlines the right to education, stating that no person “shall be refused admission to any public school on account of the religious persuasion, race, social and immigration status or language” of the individual or their parents.
The section also affirms that children of compulsory school age are entitled to free education at a public school, although this does not cover ancillary expenses such as textbooks, uniforms and supplies.
The proposed law would require any parent seeking to homeschool a child to be at least 21 years old and to use a programme aligned with national curriculum standards. Parents would also have to register the child annually with the Department of Education and submit a detailed educational plan for each homeschooled student before instruction begins.
The bill says a homeschool programme must last at least one school year, and students must take part in national assessments or other approved evaluations appropriate to their needs.
Parents would be allowed flexible teaching hours, provided that at least 900 hours of instruction are delivered each year.
The legislation would also ban parents from leaving homeschooled children unsupervised during instruction time and prevent them from assigning primary teaching responsibility to an unrelated person outside the home.
Homeschooled children would also be monitored by the Department of Education.
If passed, the bill would repeal and replace the current Education Act.
Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin also tabled the Early Childhood Care Commission Bill, 2026, which would repeal and replace the existing Early Childhood Care Act. That measure is intended to strengthen the governance and management of early childhood care in The Bahamas, including the regulation of daycares and preschools.
