Register For Homeschooling

Education Act 2016  PEI                   

Registering your child for homeschooling

 The Education Act 2016 replaces the School Act 1988.  It appeared in the Royal Gazette on Saturday August 20, 2016, and was proclaimed on the same date.  It is in force for the coming school year 2016-2017.

To note with respect to homeschooling:

Parents are asked to register their child as a homeschooled student with the Department of Education.

A student is obliged to attend school from age 5 -16, with the following provision:  a child has access to K at age 5 on Dec. 31 of the year she would attend, but the parent may delay entry of the child into school until age 6 on Dec. 31 of that year.  In the school  system a child is obliged to complete K before entering grade 1.

Parents register their child using the form provided by the Department, or they can register by submitting their information on their own sheet of paper.  

Link for the form to register children is here:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/forms/home_education_-_notice_of_intent.pdf

Parents will receive a letter of acknowledgement from the Department of Education signed by Lisa Hashie, stating that the parents are fully responsible for credits earned and for material chosen for teaching.  This letter is important as proof of the child’s registration as a home schooled student.  The English School Board, now known as the Public Schools Branch is responsible for student attendance in school and/or homeschooling.  The Public Schools Branch is now more closely linked to the Department of Education.

Parents have access to English and French materials that are used in the schools.  The parent makes a deposit of 50.00 per child for the use of the materials, which is refunded upon return of the materials.  

A list of materials is available to view here: 
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/education-and-lifelong-learning/programs-of-study

Forms are available to request materials here:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/forms/home_education_-_request_for_learning_resources.pdf

Home schooled students may attend individual courses in public schools.  The parent must confirm the attendance of the child by written notice by April 15 of the previous year.  The parent will contact the principal of the school to arrange for this.  

Note: the principal is an employee of the Public Schools Branch.  The Public Schools Branch enforces the regulations of the Education Act.  The principal/Public Schools Branch may assess the student to determine the best placement of the student.  The Public Schools Branch/principal is open to include as many students in the school as possible.  For reasons of lack of room in a class, the principal may not be able to accommodate the student in that class, or the principal may believe that the student would be better placed in a different class than that indicated by the parent.

Students may participate in extra-curricular activities - sports and others.  The PEISAA - PEI School Athletic Association, responsible to the Public Schools Branch, administers the sports programs between schools, and accepts home-schooled students for individual sports.  They have their own rules in regard to accepting home- schooled students.  Home-schooled students have been accepted in the past for team sports.  

Their website link is here: http://www.peisaa.pe.ca/  

Changes to note:

- it is no longer required to submit a Proposed Program of Studies and materials that the student will     be using.

- there is no longer a requirement for parents to have a teacher-advisor.

Contact:  Lisa Hashie   902 368 4600  Administrative support for homeschooling  Department of Education.