Peru is administered on three levels, which is the first thing a family should know and the last thing most summaries mention. MINEDU sets national policy; the regional Direcciones Regionales de Educación implement it; and the local Unidades de Gestión Educativa Local — the UGEL — authorise and supervise the institutions a family actually deals with. That structure shapes both what can be said nationally and where a family should go to confirm it. It also explains why two provisions in Peruvian law are so often misread.
The governing statute and what is compulsory
The Ley General de Educación N° 28044 governs the Peruvian system. Educación básica regular — comprising the inicial, primaria and secundaria levels — is compulsory. We state it in that form rather than quoting an age range, because the boundaries are exactly the sort of detail that should be read from the current instruments rather than from a provider’s article, and MINEDU or your UGEL will confirm them for your child’s circumstances.
Misreading one: educación a distancia
Ley 28044 recognises educación a distancia as a modality of the education system, applicable across levels. Families encounter that and reasonably wonder whether it amounts to state-sanctioned home education delivered online. It does not, at least not in a form we can claim to operate within. It is a recognised modality with its own rules about how it is delivered and by whom, administered through MINEDU and the UGEL. Whether it applies to a particular child, and which providers are recognised inside it, is a question for those authorities — and Smartious does not hold Peruvian authorisation and does not present itself as operating within the modality.
Misreading two: Educación Básica Alternativa
Peru operates EBA for people who did not complete their studies at the corresponding age, with its own eligibility rules and delivery arrangements. It is a genuine and valuable part of the system, and it is not a parental-choice route for a school-age child whose family would prefer to educate at home. We mention it because it appears in searches next to the phrase families are actually looking for, and the distinction matters.
Home education: what we can and cannot say
We are not aware of an established parental-choice home-education route in Peruvian law, and we phrase it in exactly those terms rather than asserting a categorical prohibition we cannot fully evidence. A family whose plan turns on the point should confirm the current position with MINEDU and their UGEL. What is unrestricted is structured education alongside a school enrolment, which is the configuration we build throughout Peru — unlike Chile next door, where a state validation route makes a full-time programme workable.
What we are, and are not
Private institutions in Peru operate with authorisation through the UGEL and DRE structure. Smartious does not hold Peruvian authorisation, does not operate premises in Peru, and does not present itself as an alternative to an authorised institution. The qualifications we deliver — Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, IB and AP — carry their own international validity; the Peruvian recognition belongs to your school. We state that as plainly here as we do in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Ghana and the DRC.
The timezone, and the school day that makes it work
We teach from Nairobi at UTC+3 and Peru runs PET at UTC-5 with no daylight saving, so the gap is a fixed eight hours — the same as Colombia. Our teaching lands in the Peruvian morning, which means Both after-school and morning blocks are available, since we run two teaching teams in different time zones. What makes it workable is the Peruvian school day: schools commonly run turno mañana and turno tarde, so a student on the afternoon shift has mornings entirely free — exactly our window. Families whose child is in turno mañana should talk to us before enrolling so we can be realistic about which subjects and days are possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is homeschooling legal in Peru?+
Educación básica regular is compulsory under Ley 28044, and we are not aware of an established parental-choice home-education route. We put it in those terms rather than asserting a flat prohibition — confirm with MINEDU and your UGEL.
Does educación a distancia allow us to school at home?+
It is a recognised modality of the system with its own rules, administered by MINEDU and the UGEL. It is not a parental home-education route, and we do not claim to operate within it.
What about EBA?+
Educación Básica Alternativa serves people who did not complete studies at the corresponding age, with its own eligibility rules. It is not a route for a school-age child whose family prefers home education.
Why does my UGEL matter?+
Because the UGEL authorises and supervises institutions locally and is the body a family actually deals with. National summaries — including this one — cannot answer questions specific to your circumstances.
