F.A.Q's

Yes, Homeschooling is legal in all Canadian provinces and territories. Each province has its own sets of rules and regulations therefore homeschooling may look very different from province to province. For example, Ontario has some of the most open regulations whereas Quebec has some of the strictest. Some provinces offer funding and others do not.

By law, you are required to provide your child(ren) a satisfactory learning experience at your own expense. There is no funding in Ontario for homeschooling. The government does not interfere or follow up, unless there is reason to believe the welfare of the child is in jeopardy.

No. There is no legal requirement in Ontario to keep records and there is no one to submit anything to. No grading, no report cards and no testing unless you choose to. No testing or documentation are required for entering or re-entering the school system either.

Though legally there are not requirements, your child might choose to document their learning during the ‘high school years,’ for the purpose of applying for university if that is the route they choose. The documentation needed for the admissions process changes from one university to another. It is recommended the young person find out specifically what is required for admissions at the particular universities to which they will be applying, with enough advance to have time to tailor their studies accordingly and gather the documentation together. A list of Canadian university and their admissions policies can be found on the OFTP website

Many universities and colleges in Ontario have admissions policies for homeschoolers.

However, even if a college or university does not yet have a specific policy, homeschoolers have still been able to gain admittance to many of these institutions.

Universities like Harvard and Stanford actively recruit home learners because of the creativity, independence and motivation that comes from being a self-directed learner at home.

Universities also welcome older students as “mature students” without the need of a high school diploma. An option for homeschoolers is to wait until they reach age 21 to attend university.

Absolutely! There are so many wonderful resources at your disposal. In Ontario a great place to find out more about homeschooling is The Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents (OFTP). Everything from the laws and policies to curriculum and moral support.

As a homeschooling parent you can join local homeschooling groups on Facebook. These groups are great place to build community. A place to find out about a meet up or an educational field trip being organized.v

In Ontario the first step is to write a letter of your intent to withdraw from the school system and start homeschooling.

If your child is presently in public school, you will need to give the school board written notification of your intent to homeschool. Out of courtesy, send a copy of the letter to the school principal as well. (See link to the letter of intent).

If your child is currently in private school, then the school board does not need to be notified. It is only the private school you need to notify in whichever way you communicate with them.

If you have a young child who have never been registered in any school system i.e., is entering Jk or Sk, there is no need to do anything.

There are a few options for you when writing the letter of intent.

You can choose to write your own letter stating information that is necessary to identify you and your child(ren) and stating your understanding of your responsibilities under the law.

You can choose one of these templates. Simply print, fill, make copies and send to your school board (Link to list of all school boards and address).

Letter of Intent 1

Letter of Intent 2

3. Utilize the form that may be given to you by your school board

Yes. If you are a more visual learner, this video by OFTP will help explain further the law and policies surrounding homeschooling.