Homeschooling in Quebec

Yes. Quebec's Education Act allows a child to be excused from school if they receive homeschooling, and the Homeschooling Regulation (in force since July 1, 2018) sets out exactly what parents must do. In Quebec the term is 'enseignement à la maison'.

Homeschooling is monitored by the Ministère de l'Éducation through its Direction de l'enseignement à la maison (DEM). School service centres (French) and school boards (English) provide support services and run ministerial exams.

• Starting at the beginning of a school year: send your notice of intent to the DEM by July 1. Quebec's school year runs from July 1 to June 30.
• Leaving school during the year: send the notice within 10 days of your child's last day at school.
• Inform your school service centre or school board as well – the Ministry's process involves both.

The Ministry provides a form for the notice, and the annual steps are now handled through the DEM's secure online platform.

Each year you prepare a learning project for each child and put it in place by September 30 (or within 30 days if your child leaves school during the year). The Ministry publishes templates for different levels.

The regulation lists the subjects the learning project must cover and requires it to state how your child's progress will be evaluated. You choose your own resources and approach, but the project must be submitted to and followed up by the DEM.

Read the Homeschooling Regulation and the Ministry's template before you write your first project – they set out the required content in detail.

• Status report: sent between the third and fifth month after you start your learning project. Different timing applies if your child leaves school between January 1 and March 31, and it is optional if they leave after March 31.
• Two progress reports: each year you submit two reports on your child's learning progress. The regulation lets you choose how progress is evaluated – for example by a school service centre, a private school, a holder of a teaching licence or a ministerial examination. Check the regulation for the full list of accepted methods.
• Monitoring meeting: parents and the child attend a monitoring meeting with the DEM while the learning project is under way. You may bring a person of your choice.

Check the DEM's timeline for the current year's exact dates.

Homeschooled children must write certain ministerial examinations, and you register for them through your school service centre or school board. School boards list end-of-elementary (Grade 6) exams and the uniform exams in Secondary 4 and 5, but confirm which exams apply to your child's level with the DEM or your board each year.

School service centres and school boards offer free preparatory sessions to help homeschooled children get ready for ministerial exams.

Quebec's Secondary School Diploma (DES) is awarded by the Ministry based on credits and ministerial exams in Secondary 4 and 5. A homeschooled teen who wants the DES needs to plan with their school service centre or school board how they will earn the required results.

CEGEPs set their own admission rules for students without a DES or with a homeschool background, so contact the CEGEP you're interested in early.

Quebec doesn't pay homeschooling families directly, but it does provide services in kind. On request, your child can have free access to the textbooks and learning materials a school student would receive (subject to availability), the school library, and some science, computer and art facilities.

If your child has special needs, discuss support with your school service centre or school board and mention it in your learning project and with the DEM.

Homeschooling associations in Quebec include the Association québécoise pour l'éducation à domicile (AQED) and English-language parent networks, and many regions have local co-ops.