Homeschooling

Educating Your Children at Home

In Manitoba, parents may choose to have their child(ren) educated in one of three ways:

• public school
• private school
• homeschool

Parents may choose to homeschool their child(ren) or homeschool a group of students from more than one family. In other words, the person(s) providing the education can be the parent(s) or someone the parent(s) have designated.

Homeschooling Notification Package

The 2011-12 Homeschooling Notification Package is available below. You may open the link and copy the forms or contact the Homeschooling Office at the address below to have the package mailed to you. Please contact the Homeschooling Office for any further information.

2011-2012 Homeschooling Notification Package ( 177 KB)

Homeschooling Office
Manitoba Education
Telephone: 204-945-8138
Fax: 204-948-2154
Email: homeschooling@gov.mb.ca

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Curriculum Options for Homeschooling

Parents may choose to follow one of three different options or combine these options to create a unique program:

1. Child-Centered Instruction

   Parents who choose a child-centered approach elect to use print and non-print materials from a variety of sources. They often supplement their teaching with a variety of experiences and activities that enhance their child(ren)'s learning. Some elect to use Manitoba curriculum guides which can be otained from the Manitoba Text Book Bureau (toll-free 1-800-305-5515). Parents who are interested in this option may wish to contact the Regional Homeschooling Offices in Winnipeg or in Rivers.

2. Christian-Based Curricula
   

   There are a number of Christian-based curricula being used by homeschooling parents (e.g., A Beka, Alpha-Omega, School of Tomorrow). Most programs are laid out in a lesson-by-lesson format. Some programs offer external marking services, while others do not. Parents who are interested in discussing this option further may contact the Homeschooling office, the Manitoba Association of Christian Home Schools Inc., or Hearth Families Inc.

3. Independent Study Option
   

   Grades 1-8 Provincial Curriculum Aligned (PCA) homeschooling resources are available in print and online through the Province of Alberta. For grades 9-12, Manitoba Education offers core area, compulsory courses as well as many optional courses required for graduation. These print-based courses may be purchased from the Distance Learning Unit as lesson-by-lesson courses with marking services or as resource packages without marking services. Note: Grade 7 and 8 Basic French are also available. For more information about the Independent Study Option parents may call toll-free at 1-800-465-9915.

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Questions and Answers About Homeschooling

1. Do parents have the right to homeschool their children?
   

   Yes. The rights and responsibilities of parents to homeschool their child(ren) are laid out in sections 260, 260.1, 262 of The Public Schools Act. See the Summary of Legislation below. Parents, legal guardians, or any person designated by parents or legal guardians may homeschool.

2. Do parents have to notify their school division or neighbourhood school?

   There is no legal requirement for parents to notify their school division and/or neighbourhood school. If the student is currently attending a school, it is suggested that parents notify the school of their intention to homeschool.

3. What does it cost to homeschool?
   

   There is no charge to enrol as a homeschool. Costs vary according to the curriculum selected, the subjects taken, and the grade level of the students.

4. Is funding available to parents to homeschool their child(ren)?
   

   There are no government funds available for homeschooling. However, students under the age of 18 who are not registered in a school and are unable to attend school for medical reasons are not required to pay course fees. The Distance Learning Unit of Manitoba Education will provide Provincial Curriculum-Aligned courses to students (between 7 and 18 years) who meet the course fee exemption criteria.

5. Can parents homeschool their child(ren) and also enrol them for some courses in the public school?
   

   A homeschooling student may enrol in a public or funded independent school provided the school agrees to this arrangement. Most often, parents make such arrangements so that their child(ren) can take specific courses (e.g., Music, Physical Education, Computer Studies) or courses that parents feel that they cannot adequately teach (e.g., Physics, Senior Years Mathematics, foreign language).

6. Does a home schooler have to follow Manitoba curricula?
   

   Parents may choose to use Manitoba curricula as one of the three options described above, but there is no requirement to do so.

7. Does a student have to write the Manitoba Education provincial exams?
   

   Students are not required to write provincial exams, but they may do so. If parents choose to have their child(ren) write these exams, they should make arrangements with their local school well in advance so that accommodations can be made.

8. What are the steps to homeschooling?

There are four steps to homeschooling in Manitoba: NOTIFYING, PROCESSING, ENROLLING, AND REPORTING.

STEP 1: NOTIFYING
Parent(s) obtain a Homeschooling Notification Package and complete and submit a Homeschooling Family Notification Form ( 84 KB) and one Student Notification Form ( 44 KB) for EACH school-age child.
• Adult Learners, please contact the Adult Learning and Literacy Branch at 204-945-8247 or toll free 1-800-282-8069 ext., 8247.
• First Nations (FN) parent(s), whose children are band-funded, please contact your FN Education Director or an Education Officer at INAC at 204-983-4928.
 
STEP 2: PROCESSING
Manitoba Education processes the Homeschooling Family Notification Form and the Student Notification Form(s).
• Homeschooling liaisons may contact parent(s) to clarify information.
• A Student Notification Form for any student who has been previously enrolled cannot be processed until the June Report from the previous year has been received.
 
STEP 3: ENROLLING
Manitoba Education mails a confirmation of enrolment letter to parent(s).

 
STEP 4: REPORTING
Parent(s) complete and submit a January ( 62 KB) and
June ( 43 KB) Progress Report for each student.

 


9. Where do I obtain a Homeschooling Notification Package?
   

   You can request a Homeschooling Notification Package from the Homeschooling Office by telephone (204-945-8138) or by email (homeschooling@gov.mb.ca) or you may download and print the package from this site.

10. What if I lose my forms or need another copy?
    

    You can download and print all of the forms, including:

    • Homeschooling Family Notification Form ( 84 KB),
    • Student Notification Form ( 44 KB),
    • January ( 62 KB) and June ( 43 KB) Progress Reports
    
    or you may call the Homeschooling Office and new forms will be mailed out.



11. What happens when I make contact with the Homeschooling Office?
    

    You will be asked where you live as our Homeschooling Liaisons are assigned by geographical area. The Liaison will go over the steps to homeschooling and answer any questions you may have.

12. What factors are likely to lead to successful homeschooling?
    

The most important factors are:

• Having a well thought out plan for the education of the child(ren).
• Having adequate and appropriate resources and teaching materials for each child, whether these are programs that have already been developed (e.g., the Independent Study Options or correspondence courses, or Christian curricula) or the materials and activities necessary to deliver a student-centered approach.
13. If a parent decides to re-enrol their child(ren) in the public school, who decides at what grade level the student will be placed? Will the student get any credit for learning which has taken place at home?

    This decision is made by the receiving school. For this reason, it is recommended that the parent(s) select samples of the student's work over time (sometimes referred to as a portfolio) to demonstrate what their child(ren) learned and how well they have achieved the goals of their homeschooling program. Students who register in high school and who have performed successfully in advanced senior years courses (i.e., at Grade 10, 11, or 12) may be given retroactive standing for prerequisite courses.

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A Summary of Legislation Regarding Homeschooling

The Preparing Students for Success Act

The school leaving age has been raised from 16 to 18.