Homeschooling is legal in every province and territory in Canada, and regulated in every one. This guide sets out the notification, plan, and reporting step for each of the 13, with Quebec's heavier oversight and the diploma limits explained.
Applies in: CA
Homeschooling is legal in all 13 provinces and territories, regulated in all 13, and banned outright in none of them. That sentence is the whole headline, and it is also where its usefulness ends, because the route is different everywhere. Ontario asks for written notification to a school board. British Columbia asks for annual registration with a school by September 30. Quebec asks for a notice of intent, a learning project, a status report, two progress reports, a monitoring meeting, and ministerial examinations. Alberta offers two tracks, one supervised and funded, one notification-only and unfunded. The rest of this guide works through each jurisdiction in the form its own ministry or department uses, and says plainly where a figure or a deadline could not be verified.
First, homeschooling is not online learning. British Columbia draws the line on its ministry page: a homeschooling program is delivered by the parent or guardian, is not supervised by a British Columbia-certified teacher, is not required to meet provincial standards, and is not inspected by the ministry. Online learning, called distributed learning in older Yukon material, is a school program delivered at a distance, supervised by a teacher, and held to provincial standards. Yukon's government page keeps the same separation: homeschooling through the Aurora School, and distributed learning as a separate registration. If what you want is a teacher-led program at home, you want the online-learning route in your province, not the homeschooling route, and the forms differ.
Second, notification is not approval everywhere. Some authorities certify or confirm a registration. Nova Scotia's department certifies the registration for home schooling. Manitoba's Homeschooling Office sends a confirmation letter once the notification form is processed. New Brunswick's district reviews the annual application and forwards it to the minister for approval. Quebec's ministry examines the learning project and writes back with reasons and recommendations when it does not comply. Filing a form and hearing nothing back is not the same as being confirmed, and in the approval provinces it is not the same as being approved. Keep the reply letter. Manitoba's own guidance encourages families to retain confirmation letters as verification of education for inquiring authorities.
The table below states only what the official pages support. Where a deadline or a detail could not be verified on an official page, the cell says to confirm it, and the unverified-figures paragraph at the end names the gap.
| Province or territory | Notify or register with | Plan | Reporting and assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Written notification to the district school board, under Policy/Program Memorandum 131 | No prescribed plan must be filed with the notification; investigation forms ask about plans only if the board investigates | Board replies excusing attendance under Education Act subsection 21(2)(a); optional EQAO assessments by contacting the board by September 30 |
| British Columbia | Register the child with a public or independent school, by September 30 each year | No formal plan is submitted; parents deliver the entire program | School must offer evaluation and assessment services and loan of authorized resources, free of charge; parent may accept or reject them; no Dogwood certificate |
| Alberta | Two tracks: supervised by a willing school authority, or notification only to the Minister | Supervised track: home education program enabling appropriate learning outcomes; notification-only track: no program plan must be submitted to the Minister | Supervised track: at least two formal evaluations per school year by certificated teachers, including portfolio review; notification-only track: no evaluation by an authority |
| Saskatchewan | Notice of intent plus written education plan to the registering authority, the school division board or the Ministry of Education | Written education plan, consistent with the Goals of Education for Saskatchewan, with broad annual goals in language arts, science, social studies, and mathematics | Annual progress report and portfolio of work; confirm your division's filing date before the school year starts |
| Manitoba | Notify the Homeschooling Office: Student Notification Form, by September 1 for returning families, within 30 days of establishing a homeschool for new families | Program outline covering language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies; Manitoba curriculum may be used but is not required | January and June Progress Reports each year; no provincial tests required; no provincial funding; no Manitoba High School Diploma unless graduation requirements are fulfilled |
| Quebec | Annual notice of intent to the Direction de l'enseignement a la maison, by July 1 or within 10 days of leaving school; notice goes on to the school service centre or school board | Learning project submitted and started by September 30, covering the compulsory programs in language of instruction, second language, mathematics, science and technology, and social sciences | Status report plus two progress reports each year, monitoring meeting, ministerial examinations; diploma credits evaluated free of charge through the school service centre or school board |
| New Brunswick | Annual home schooling application form to the school district, forwarded to the minister for approval; exemption from attendance each year | Curriculum plan providing effective instruction, covering the core areas taught in New Brunswick schools, from language arts and mathematics through French, technology, art and music, and career development | Keep regular records of progress; return to high school brings assessment for course equivalencies; no New Brunswick High School Diploma for a student educated entirely at home |
| Nova Scotia | Annual registration form to Regional Education Services, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development; proof of age for a child not previously registered | Registration form describes the program of study the child will follow | Progress report to the department in June, compatible with the child's program of study; regional centre decides grade placement and any senior-high credits on return to school |
| Prince Edward Island | Notify the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning before the school year starts | Home education program of the parent's design, or the public education system's curriculum | Maintain academic records in case proof of learning is requested; no diploma unless the student enters the public system and graduates with the required credits; $50 refundable deposit per child for curriculum books |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Apply to a school district to home school; contact the regional home schooling consultant for your region | Education program outline under the NLSchools homeschooling policy; confirm the current outline contents with the consultant before filing | Portfolio and progress reporting as the policy requires; confirm the current reporting steps with the consultant, as the department page lists the policy rather than restating it |
| Yukon | Register with the Aurora School for the English program, or with Ecole Nomade through the Yukon Francophone School Board for French first language | Home education plan, created with Aurora School staff help, including educational plans and choice of resources | Achievement testing and provincial exams arranged through Aurora School staff; textbooks and equipment may be borrowed from the Department of Education |
| Northwest Territories | Register with the school; program supervised by the District Education Authority or francophone education body | Program information given to the principal at the beginning of the academic year; program must fulfil the curriculum standards set by the Minister | Agreed assessment method; assessment samples to the principal twice during the academic year; progress discussed with the principal twice a year |
| Nunavut | Start with the local school and District Education Authority; home schooling sits under District Education Authority supervision with the student registered at a school | Education program plan, agreed through the school and the District Education Authority | Assessment methods agreed during program approval, with assessment samples provided during the year; confirm the current approval and assessment steps with your District Education Authority before starting, as no current territory-wide homeschooling page was verified |
Quebec's process deserves its own section, since families arriving from another province underestimate it most often. The ministry's process page lists five filings and events for every year: a notice of intent, a learning project, a status report, two reports on learning progress, and a monitoring meeting, plus ministerial examinations. The notice must reach the Direction de l'enseignement a la maison no later than July 1, or within 10 days of the last day the child attended school, and it must include contact information for the child and both parents, including the second parent even when that parent is not involved in the project. The parent submitting the notice must notify the other parent or legal guardian and obtain their consent.
The learning project is the substantive document. It must describe the educational approach, the programs of study and activities, the other knowledge and skills expected, the resources, the approximate time allocated to learning activities, any contributing organizations, the evaluation methods, and the last level of educational services the child received. It must aim at the knowledge and competencies in the compulsory programs. The ministry examines the project, and when it does not comply, it informs the parents in writing with reasons and recommendations; the parents must submit a new project within 30 days of that notice. The Homeschooling Regulation, cited on the ministry's own page, sets these conditions and procedures. No funding figure for Quebec is stated in this guide, because none was verified on the ministry pages; do not budget for a Quebec homeschooling payment on the strength of this guide.
Three money facts were verified, and the rest are not stated here. Alberta's supervised track is eligible for funding from Alberta Education: the parent receives half of the home education grant portion when the program has been notified and accepted by an associate board or associate private school before September 30, and a program accepted after September 29 is not eligible for funding that year. The notification-only track receives no Alberta Education funding. Parents in the supervised track have up to two years to access the parental portion of the funding, with a separate declaration form for each school year. Manitoba's Homeschooling Office states that provincial funding is not available to families who homeschool, and that there is no charge to homeschool, although the resources a family buys cost what they cost. Prince Edward Island charges no fee to home educate, and the only payment on its page is the $50 per child deposit for curriculum books, refunded when the books are returned. The Northwest Territories regulations direct the education body to provide funding for program costs in accordance with the Minister's directions; the amount and the local process are set there, so ask your education body rather than assuming a figure. For British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, and Nunavut, this guide states no funding amount, because none was verified on an official page. A figure you read on a blog or a forum is not a funding entitlement.
Whatever your province asks for, keep the same core file: the notice or registration form you filed, the reply or confirmation letter, the plan or learning project as submitted, dated samples of work, and every progress report you sent. Manitoba encourages families to retain notification forms, progress reports, and confirmation letters, and notes that a portfolio of samples may record growth over time. Saskatchewan's divisions require a portfolio of the year's work, stored by the parent. The Northwest Territories regulations require assessment samples twice a year and two progress discussions with the principal. Quebec's status report and progress reports are built from the learning project's own records, so a family that keeps no running record must reconstruct the year from memory. Keep the file in one place, in the form your authority uses, and keep it for the year after the school year ends at minimum, longer when your authority's retention practice requires it.
Plan the return before you need it. Nova Scotia's regional centre determines grade placement for a returning student and decides what, if any, credits work done at home earns at the senior high level. New Brunswick assesses returning high school students for course equivalencies and guides them on what remains for graduation. Manitoba's school principal makes placement and credit decisions for home-school courses. British Columbia's online learning courses in Grades 10 to 12 can earn credit toward graduation while a child remains registered as a homeschooler, which is the one route in this guide that combines registration with credit-earning courses. Quebec's route runs through the school service centre or school board, which takes the steps for free-of-charge evaluation toward diploma credits. In every province, the records file described above is what the receiving school reads, and a thin file makes placement harder than a complete one.
This is a process guide, not curriculum advice and not legal advice. It does not recommend a curriculum, a teaching method, or a program of study, and it does not advise any family whether homeschooling suits their child. Education law and ministry procedures change; the filing step for your province is the one on your ministry or department page on the day you file, and this guide's province table states only what those pages supported when it was written on October 31, 2026. Where this guide could not verify a deadline, a fee, or a funding figure on an official page, it says so rather than filling the gap.
| British Columbia — register the child | By September 30 each year |
|---|---|
| Manitoba — notify for a returning family | By September 1 each year |
| Manitoba — notify for a new homeschool | Within 30 days of establishing it |
| Quebec — annual notice of intent | By July 1, or within 10 days of leaving school |
| Quebec — learning project submitted and started | By September 30 |
| Alberta — supervised-program acceptance for the funding portion | Before September 30 |
| Prince Edward Island — textbook deposit, refunded on return | $50 per child |
Yes, in every province and territory, and regulated in every one. Each province and territory runs its own education system, and each one provides a lawful home-education route under its education legislation: a notice, a registration, or an application, plus whatever plan and reporting that jurisdiction asks for. No province or territory bans homeschooling outright. The mistake is to treat that as one national rule. The route, the form, the deadline, and the oversight change at every border, and the lawful step is the one your own province or territory prescribes.
It depends on the province, and the words matter. In Ontario the ministry procedure is written notification to the school board. In British Columbia you register the child with a school. In Manitoba you notify the Homeschooling Office and receive a confirmation letter. In New Brunswick you apply each year for an exemption, and the district forwards the application to the minister for approval. In Quebec you submit a notice of intent and a learning project that the ministry examines. Read your own authority's page before you start, and follow the verb it uses: notify, register, and apply are three different acts.
Yes, and the difference is documented on the Quebec government's own process page. Parents in Quebec must submit an annual notice of intent, a learning project, a status report, and two reports on the child's learning progress each year, attend a monitoring meeting, and make sure the child takes ministerial examinations. The notice is due by July 1, or within 10 days of the last day the child attended school, and the learning project must be submitted and started by September 30. The learning project must aim at the knowledge and competencies in the compulsory programs, including language of instruction, second language, mathematics, science and technology, and social sciences. No other province in this guide asks for all of those steps together.
In several provinces, no, not on homeschooling alone. British Columbia states plainly that homeschoolers are not eligible to receive a Dogwood Graduation Certificate. Manitoba states that homeschooled students are not eligible for a Manitoba High School Diploma unless they have fulfilled the graduation requirements. New Brunswick states that students who complete their entire education through home schooling are not eligible for a New Brunswick High School Diploma. Prince Edward Island states the same condition: no diploma unless the student enters the public school system and graduates with the required credits. Quebec takes a different approach: homeschooled children are subject to the same certification regulations as school pupils, and the school service centre or school board takes the steps so the child can be evaluated free of charge for the credits a diploma recognized by the Minister requires. Check the diploma route in your province before the senior years.
Only in some places, and only on the terms the province sets. Alberta is the clearest funded route in this guide: a supervised program, run with a willing school authority, is eligible for funding from Alberta Education, and the parent receives half of the home education grant portion when the program has been notified and accepted before September 30, while the notification-only route receives no Alberta Education funding at all. Manitoba states the opposite plainly: provincial funding is not available to families who homeschool, and there is no charge to homeschool. Prince Edward Island charges no fee to home educate, but asks a $50 deposit per child for provincial curriculum books, refunded when the books are returned. This guide states no funding figure for any other province or territory, because none was verified on the official pages.
In most provinces the door stays open, but the paperwork follows the child. British Columbia allows a child in Grades 10, 11, or 12 to enrol in an online learning course while remaining registered as a homeschooler. Manitoba allows a homeschooled student to enrol in a public or independent school when the school agrees, and allows families to combine homeschooling with school enrolment across the senior years. Alberta lets a parent start a home education program at any time, and its kindergarten pilot runs to the end of the 2026/27 school year. When a child returns to school full-time, the receiving school or regional centre decides grade placement and what, if any, credits the home-school work earns. Keep the confirmation letters, reports, and portfolio, because those records are what the receiving school reads.
Figures and details not stated in this guide: no funding amount is stated for British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, or Nunavut, because no funding figure for those jurisdictions was verified on an official page; the Saskatchewan filing date is not stated as a single deadline, because divisions publish their own dates; the Nova Scotia September 20 filing date that circulates in secondary guides is not stated, because the department page states annual registration without that date; no Quebec funding payment is stated; and no Nunavut reimbursement figure is stated, because the current territory-wide homeschooling page and reimbursement directive were not checked. Confirm each cut item with the authority named in the table before relying on it.