alternative education
home education: a new unsupervised option An alternative for those who are home educating and do not want a supervised program By Judy Arnall In 2020, 38,000 children (5 percent of the school-aged population) were home educated in Alberta by a parent or another adult. Home education in Alberta is defined as the parent or guardian exercising their right and responsibility to provide their child with an education. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the parent does the teaching. They can procure teaching from sources such as tutors, freelance teachers, co-ops or learning pods, relatives, childcare professionals or non-governmental online course providers. As of September 1, 2020, parents have two choices in Home Education: • •
Funded Home Education under the supervision of a willing school authority located anywhere in Alberta. Unfunded Home Education unsupervised through Alberta Education government notification.
Those who wish to notify the government that they are home educating and do not want a supervised/ funded/supported program under a willing school authority may simply fill out a notification form for each child, each year, and send it directly to Field Services at Alberta Education.
Personally, I believe that a better term for “supervision” should be “supported.” When willing school authorities agree to supervise a home education program, they really are playing a support role. They provide help, funding, resources, information, suggestions and encouragement for parents wanting to educate their children at home. This is parent-led home education, not online schooling. This government notification option provides the most freedom for home educators. There is no requirement for a written Home Education Plan. There is no funding for receipt reimbursement. (However, the curriculum can just be a free library card and internet access.) There are no teacher/facilitator visits with parents required. There is no evaluation of the student’s progress. There is no required work to be handed in. There is no written summary report/marks of the student’s progress. In Grades 1 to 9, there is no need for evaluation as the marks do not go on any government transcript. Government transcripts begin for Grade 10. Those who miss the supervised funding deadline of September 29 can also choose the unsupervised government notification for anytime they wish to home educate for the remainder of the year. Families can
“It's great to live in Alberta where families have so many education choices.” choose to go back to supervised/funded with a school authority the next fall, or stay unsupervised. The form needs to be submitted to the government every year for each child. The government will assign the child an Alberta student number when they notify for the first time in Grade 1 or later grades. No submission form is required for Kindergarten, as registering for a Kindergarten program is voluntary in Alberta for both classroom and home education. The government will not solicit the child’s cumulative
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