Homeschooling in Quebec

What you must file

1. July 1You file

   Annual notice of intent

   No later than JULY 1. If the child stopped attending school during the year: within 10 days of the last day attended.

   Goes to: DEM, Ministere de l'Education. You send it on the homeschooling secure site, and the DEM forwards it to your school service centre or school board.

2. September 30You file

   Learning project

   Submission AND start of implementation no later than SEPTEMBER 30. If the child stopped attending school mid-year: within 30 days of the last day attended.

   Goes to: DEM (created directly in the child's file on the secure site)

   Must cover at least all compulsory subjects: the language of instruction and the second language (one in French and the other in English), Mathematics, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences, and describe the learning to be acquired and the competencies of the Quebec Education Program to be developed. Teaching must allow progress in learning equivalent to that applicable per cycle at school. The document must set out the chosen educational approach; the programs of study and a brief description of the activities for each; any other subjects, knowledge and skills to be acquired and their activities; the educational resources; an approximate plan of the time for learning activities; the name and contact information of every organization contributing to your child's learning and the extent of its contribution; how your child's progress will be evaluated; and the last level of educational services your child received from an educational institution.

3. No fixed dateYou file

   Status report

   Between the THIRD and FIFTH month after implementation of the learning project. If the child stopped attending school between January 1 and March 31: no later than June 15. If after March 31: optional.

   Goes to: DEM

   Describes the implementation of the learning project: activities completed by subject, approximate time allocated, and any change made to the learning project.

4. No fixed dateYou file

   Mid-term progress report

   Between the THIRD and FIFTH month after implementation of the learning project. Optional if the child stopped attending school after December 31.

   Goes to: DEM

5. June 15You file

   Completion report

   No later than JUNE 15.

   Goes to: DEM

6. June 15You file

   Evaluation of learning - conclusions

   Portfolio method: send the portfolio to the DEM with the completion report, no later than June 15. All other methods: send the conclusions of the evaluations to the DEM as soon as they are available, and no later than June 30.

   Goes to: DEM

   Permitted methods: evaluation by the school service centre or school board, by a private institution, by a licensed teacher, ministerial examinations, or a portfolio submitted to the Minister. Note: a ministerial examination can serve as the evaluation method, but the ministerial examinations set for the child's grade are compulsory in their own right (next item).

7. No fixed dateYou file

   Monitoring meeting

   Participation during the year, by the parent and the child. The meeting may be used to build the status report and the mid-term report.

   Goes to: Resource person assigned by the DEM

8. No fixed dateYou file

   Ministerial examinations

   Your child must take any examination the Minister imposes, no later than the end of the learning project in which the subject examined must have been taught. This is in addition to the evaluation methods you choose. The Ministry publishes an official examination schedule each year that must be followed. As soon as the learning project begins, contact your school service centre or school board to register your child. The Minister may exempt a child who cannot be present at the sittings because of illness or other exceptional circumstances. A child who cannot be present at one sitting must attend another.

   How often: in the grades and subjects the Minister sets

   Goes to: Registration through the school service centre or school board; the examinations are set by the Minister

   The Ministry's Guide for Parent-Educators lists the examinations by level, subject and language of instruction: compulsory examinations in Elementary 4, Elementary 6 and Secondary II, and uniform examinations in Secondary IV and V. The school service centre or school board holds the sittings free of charge. Passing a ministerial examination does not by itself grant credits toward the Secondary School Diploma.

9. No fixed dateYou file

   Notice of a substantial change to the learning project

   Within 15 days of making a substantial change to the learning project.

   How often: each time a substantial change is made

   Goes to: Your DEM resource person, Ministere de l'Education, in writing

   You may change the learning project as you see fit. A change is substantial when the learning project is no longer representative of the educational experience, for example a change in the level of instruction, or partly or completely dropping the planned activities for one or more subjects. A minor change, such as a different resource or evaluation method for a subject, goes in the status report; if you have already sent the status report, tell your resource person about it.

10. No fixed dateYou file

    Information or documents the Minister needs to examine your learning project and reports

    While the Minister examines your learning project or your reports on your child's progress.

    How often: as needed

    Goes to: DEM, Ministere de l'Education

    The Homeschooling Regulation says the parents must send the Minister any information or document relevant to the examination of the learning project (section 7) and of the reports on the child's progress (section 17).

11. No fixed dateYou file

    Other parent's consent to the notice of intent

    When you submit the annual notice of intent.

    Goes to: The child's other parent or legal guardian

    Quebec's homeschooling page says the parent who submits the annual notice of intent is responsible for notifying the other parent or legal guardian of this submission, and for getting their consent. The notice must include the second parent's information even if that parent is not involved in the homeschooling.

12. No fixed dateYou file

    Learning project to the school service centre, if you ask it for support

    When you ask the school service centre for free textbooks or instructional material, student support services, or an evaluation to earn credits toward a diploma.

    How often: each time you ask for this support

    Goes to: Your school service centre or school board

    The Homeschooling Regulation says parents who make such a request must provide the school service centre that has jurisdiction with the child's learning project (section 24). Student support services include school library resources, academic and career guidance and information, psychological, psychoeducational, special education and remedial education services, and speech therapy.