Homeschooling
Under the School Act, home educators (families) are required to register homeschoolers with a public school, an independent school, a francophone school or an online learning school by September 30th (annually).
Registration is required from the start of the school year in which a child turns 5 (although it can be deferred until the start of the school year in which a child turns 6) until the child reaches the age of 16.
Families may wish to contact the school they are registered at to determine what resources and support services are available to homeschoolers.
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What is the difference between registered homeschooling and online learning (OL)?
- Registered homeschooling is an alternative method of teaching offered outside of the BC educational system.
- Typically, a family member delivers the entire educational program to children at home.
- Homeschool students register with a public school, an independent school, a francophone school or an online learning school, but are not required to follow provincially-mandated curricula.
- A registered homeschooler cannot obtain a B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma) through homeschooling alone. There are two ways for a registered homeschooler to obtain sufficient credit to graduate from the B.C.
education system:- Pathway 1 – Entering or re-entering the B.C. education system
- Pathway 2 – Retaining registered homeschooler status while enrolling in online learning (grades 10-12 only)
- For more on registered homeschooling in BC, visit the Ministry of Education’s homeschooling information page.
- Online learning (OL) programs follow the BC curriculum learning guidelines for school subjects.
- Online learning programs or courses are taught by qualified persons who are certified by the Ministry’s Teacher Regulation Branch.
- At SD46, we offer the following programs designated as OL: SPIDER (Students Participating in Distance Education Resources) Programs: Elementary K-6, ProjectSPIDER 7-9, and Secondary Online Learning 10-12.
- SD46 SPIDER programs provide direct support to parents who have chosen to have their children learn at home.
- Students register with their catchment area school and contact the Elementary or Project/Secondary SPIDER principal to discuss their interest in the program.
- Students are eligible to receive a British Columbia Dogwood Graduation Certificate upon completion of their high school studies.
- For more on online learning in BC, visit the Ministry of Education’s online learning site.