Become a Member

Who We Are

British Columbia Home Educators’ Association (BCHEA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 to represent all home schoolers, regardless of philosophical or religious beliefs. Since its inception, BCHEA has been a grassroots movement, involving individual home educators and families. Our mission is to protect the rights of parents to choose home education and to guide their children’s learning according to their own choices.

Our Mission

BCHEA exists to champion the freedom of families to educate their children at home in British Columbia. We provide guidance, information, and community connections so parents can make informed choices.

We work to:

  • Protect the rights of home educators under BC law.
  • Support families with practical guidance, encouragement, and connections to local networks.
  • Foster understanding of home education in the wider community.

Our goal is a thriving, informed, and empowered homeschooling community across the province.

Our Board and Community

BCHEA is run by a Board of Directors made up of Section 12 and OL-enrolled home learning parents from across British Columbia who are committed to preserving and protecting our homeschooling freedoms as outlined in the School Act.

We stay connected with local support groups, individual home educators, Ministry of Education and Child Care personnel, school boards, Social Services offices, and other agencies. Our network also includes individuals across Canada and around the world who are interested in information about home education.

Government Relations

Over the years, BCHEA has earned credibility and respect from the BC government and is recognized as a trusted voice on homeschooling matters. This high esteem also reflects back on each homeschooling family as government has ackowledged our positions that:

  • Each home school is unique.
  • Home education, due to its tutorial format, is separate from public and independent school systems.
  • Parents are best positioned to make choices regarding their children’s education.

We maintain precise, constructive communication with the Ministry of Education, advocating for parents’ rights while fostering a collaborative relationship with government authorities.

Supporting New Families

BCHEA’s experience is invaluable to parents who are new to home education or new to British Columbia. We aim to preserve the non-intrusive atmosphere and freedoms that registered home educators currently enjoy.

We encourage all home educating parents to stay informed about issues that affect their rights and ability to educate without undue interference.