Home education

Each year, parents have the responsibility to notify their supervising school authority of their intent to home educate their child through the Home Education Notification Form – Supervised by School Authority.

A parent may start a home education program at any time but should consider looking for a supervising school authority in the spring before the upcoming school year. This timing helps parents explore their options and make a decision that best supports the needs of the student.

Parents choosing home education have the primary responsibility for planning, managing, providing, evaluating and supervising their children’s courses of study. They must develop a home education program that enables the student to achieve appropriate learning outcomes.

When a parent has chosen to provide a home education program with the supervision of a school authority, the supervising school authority that accepts the parents’ home education program is called the associate board or associate private school.

If a parent requests it, the associate board or associate private school must provide assistance and advice to improve student learning.

The associate board or associate private school must also arrange for certificated teachers employed by the associate board or associate private school to conduct at least two formal evaluations of each student each school year.

These evaluations include:

• a review of the student portfolio
• recommendations to help students make improvements

Together with the parents, the associate school board or associate private school must ensure that each student meets the parents’ educational outcomes in accordance with the Home Education Regulation.

In order to receive their portion (50%) of the home education grant, if a parent has chosen to home educate with a supervising school authority, the parent must have notified and been accepted by an associate board or associate private school regarding the home education program before September 30.

Students are not eligible for funding if a home education program is accepted after September 29. This includes situations where a student changes from an online or regular program to home education after September 29.

Submissions for reimbursement and the supervising authorities' approvals must be consistent with the Home Education Regulation. To determine whether a cost or expense is reimbursable, an associate board or associate private school may refer to the Standards for Home Education Reimbursement.

School authorities are not permitted to provide funding to students or families if the student is enrolled in an online or regular school program.

Each year, parents have the responsibility to notify the Minister of Education of their intent to home educate their child. There are two available options including the Home Education Notification Form – Not Supervised by School Authority or through an online form in the Provincial Approach to Student Information (PASI), accessible in myPass.

Parents choosing home education have the responsibility for planning, managing, providing, evaluating and supervising their children’s courses of study. They must develop a home education program that enables the student to achieve appropriate learning outcomes, but are not required to submit this program plan to the Minister of Education.

Parents choosing to home educate their children without the supervision of a school authority are not eligible to receive any Alberta Education funding.