Homeschooling in Nunavut

Yes. Section 21 of Nunavut's Education Act provides for home schooling programs, covering registration, reimbursement of costs, evaluation and support, and the principal's duties. Home Schooling Regulations first made under the former Northwest Territories Education Act were carried over into Nunavut law.

Nunavut's system is more hands-on than most of Canada's. Homeschooling is not something you simply notify the government about: your child stays registered with the local school, and the District Education Authority must approve the homeschooling program.

• Talk to your local school. Your child needs to be registered at the school, and the homeschooling program is set up through it.
• Apply through your DEA. Students aged 6 to 18 who are registered in a Nunavut school can apply through their District Education Authority.
• Wait for approval before you start. Your child cannot be homeschooled until the DEA approves the program. If your child is already attending school, keep them attending until you have approval.
• Questions about registration. The Department of Education's student registrar can answer questions about how homeschooled students are recorded.

Under the regulations, the parent has primary responsibility for providing the homeschooling program and for meeting the curriculum standards set by the Minister. You plan the learning, choose resources and do the teaching.

When the program is approved, the principal sets out the conditions and works with you on an assessment plan. The Department's Q&A for staff says the parent and principal agree on assessment methods and the parent signs the agreed program.

The principal of your child's school supports and monitors the program and the agreed assessments. Your child remains on the school's records, so their progress is tracked in the territory's student information system.

If a principal believes a homeschooling program isn't working, they can recommend ending it. Nunavut's rules give the DEA the job of looking into such a recommendation, including talking with the parents and reviewing relevant material, before deciding whether the program continues, continues with changes, or ends.

Because homeschooled students stay registered with a school, the Department's records can follow them through to graduation. The Department's Q&A says the principal notifies the student registrar when a homeschooled student enters and when a diploma is planned.

If your teenager wants a Nunavut Secondary School Diploma, talk to the principal early about which courses will count for credit and how they will be assessed. Nunavut Arctic College's PASS program is another route for students finishing diploma requirements later.

Approved families can be reimbursed up to $1,000 per student per year for programming costs. DEAs handle reimbursement under a Department of Education operational directive. Ask your DEA which costs are eligible and how to submit receipts before you buy materials.

If your child has an individual student support plan or other needs, discuss it with the principal and student support teacher when you apply. The Department's homeschooling Q&A is written for student support teachers, who are often involved with homeschooled students.

There are few homeschooling families in Nunavut, so your school, DEA and Canada-wide organizations such as HSLDA Canada are the main sources of advice.