Homeschooling Options in BC

Under Part 2, Div. 4, Sections 12-14 of the BC School Act, parents may choose to register their children as homeschoolers. This must be done by Sept. 30th of each year, and the parent(s) must provide their child(ren) with “an educational program”. The “educational program” is not defined specifically except to say that it means “an organized set of learning activities that, in the opinion of the parent … is designed to enable learners to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy” [Part 1, Section 1, “educational program” Part (c), BC School Act ]; does not need to be approved by any school board nor assessed by any teacher; testing, assessment, visits, or reporting are not required.

The BC government has shown through these excellent laws that they trust BC parents to raise and educate their children to be good and productive citizens. The home school option provides complete autonomy and freedom in curriculum choice, schedule flexibility, and methodology for parents who wish to be in charge of guiding their children’s educational career.

You may register your child(ren) through your local public school, any independent school in BC, (see our handy list here) or an Online Learning school. The only information required for registration is the child’s name, birth date, and PEN (Personal Education Number). If a child does not have PEN, one will be assigned the first time you register (or enroll) the child.

Responsibilities of homeschooling parents and registering schools are explained on the government’s Homeschooling Policy page.

A registered homelearner in grades 10 to 12 may enroll in one or more courses through an Online Learning school or schools as explained in Online Learning – Policy for homeschoolers .