Homeschooling in New Brunswick

Yes. New Brunswick's Education Act requires children aged 5 to 18 to attend school, but section 16 lets the Minister exempt a child who is receiving effective instruction elsewhere. Home schooling is the most common use of that exemption.

In practice, that means home schooling in New Brunswick is an approved exemption, renewed annually, rather than a simple notice. The government's home schooling page sets out the process and what is expected of parents.

The province runs separate anglophone and francophone school districts. The process is the same idea in both: you apply through the district that serves your area.

• Get the current form. Each school year has its own Annual Home Schooling Application Form, posted by the districts (for example, the 2026–27 form).
• Send it to your school district, by email or mail as your district directs. Information on the form is collected under the Education Act's exemption provisions.
• Wait for the decision. The district reviews the application and forwards it to the Minister. Families receive a formal letter of approval or denial.
• Leaving a school mid-year. Talk to your district before withdrawing. Your child is legally expected to attend school until the exemption is approved.

You must apply every year. The deadline is printed on each year's form and has been in late September in recent years – check the current form from your district rather than relying on a past date.

If you decide to home school after the deadline (for example, partway through the year), contact your district directly about applying.

The curriculum you plan must cover the same core areas taught in New Brunswick schools. You choose the materials and methods.

Parents are expected to plan and deliver the program, keep regular records of progress, and prepare their child for whatever comes next – returning to school, work or further study.

The Department's published curriculum outlines are a free way to see what is covered at each grade, and can help you judge your child's progress.

The provincial guidance asks you to keep regular records of your child's progress. Beyond the annual application, there is no provincial standardized testing for home schoolers.

Districts can ask questions about your program when you apply each year, so keep work samples and a record of what you covered. Confirm with your district whether it expects any additional report.

A teen who finishes their schooling entirely at home cannot receive the New Brunswick High School Diploma.

If your teen enrols in a high school, the school decides what home schooling equivalences to recognize and which courses are still needed to meet graduation requirements. If a diploma matters, discuss this with the school before Grade 10.

Colleges and universities set their own admission rules for home-schooled applicants, so check requirements early.

There is no home schooling funding in New Brunswick. Home schooling is treated as a full-time alternative to school, and districts are not obliged to offer part-time attendance or access to school events or extracurricular activities.

Schools may lend textbooks or other materials at the principal's discretion, but do not have to.

If your child has additional needs, build them into your plan. School-based supports are tied to enrolment, so ask your district what continues, if anything, before you withdraw.

Your school district's home schooling contact is the place to ask about forms, deadlines and decisions. The government page lists district contacts.

Many families also connect through local home schooling groups and co-ops, and through HSLDA Canada for legal information.