Every country decides for itself who must be in school, at what ages, and what counts as school. That is your country's rule, not ours, and it is not something we can answer for you. What we can do is tell you plainly what we found for each country we serve, tell you where it is unsettled, and tell you to take local advice where it matters. We will never tell you that enrolling with GEO satisfies your country's requirement — because it may not.
This page is information, not advice.
Ghana
Basic education (kindergarten, primary, junior high) is compulsory under the Pre-Tertiary Education Act 2020. Senior high school is outside the compulsory duty.
Grades 10–11 carry no compulsory-education exposure. For grades 7–9, enrolling with GEO alone does not discharge the basic-education duty on the face of the law, no exemption process exists to apply to, and no parental offence exists. A family wanting certainty can keep a local basic-school registration alongside GEO.
South Africa
Schooling is compulsory from Grade R (the year the child turns 6) to the year the learner turns 15 or completes grade 9, under the Schools Act.
The parent registers for home education under section 51 of the Schools Act and may name GEO as the educational support within it. GEO never says that GEO enrolment satisfies South Africa's compulsory-education requirement — that is the parent's registration to complete.
Malaysia
Local advice recommendedCompulsory education runs from primary and, since the 2025 amendment to the Education Act, secondary. The Ministry's position is that enrolment in an unregistered private institution does not discharge the duty. There is no application-based exemption.
For a child who is both a Malaysian citizen and resident in Malaysia, GEO enrolment alone does not currently satisfy the duty, and there is no exemption process to apply to. Non-citizen residents and citizens residing outside Malaysia are outside the provision on its face — that is GEO's viable Malaysian segment. If you are a Malaysian citizen resident in Malaysia, take local legal advice before enrolling.
Malaysian citizens resident in Malaysia should take local legal advice before enrolling.
Zambia
Local advice recommendedThe Education Act requires attendance at an 'educational institution', but the definition is unsettled, and the penalty for non-attendance is substantial.
The position is unsettled. The safest default is to keep a locally enrolled place alongside GEO.
The position is unsettled — the safe default is GEO alongside a locally enrolled place.
Rwanda
Primary education only is compulsory. Grades 7–11 fall outside the compulsory duty.
For grades 7–11, there is no compulsory-education exposure. For grade 6, a per-child check is advisable.
Jamaica
Local advice recommendedThe Education Act and the Child Care and Protection Act together create a duty for ages 4–16. The position is argued both ways: the Education Act covers schooling 'at school or otherwise'; the Child Care Act is more prescriptive.
For ages 4–16, GEO states the conflict plainly and recommends Jamaican legal advice. Grade 11 (roughly ages 16–17) sits outside the Child Care Act and is the cleaner Jamaican segment.
For children aged 4–16 in Jamaica, take local legal advice before enrolling.
This page is information, not legal advice. Where local advice is recommended, that recommendation is genuine — please follow it.