Education and Early Childhood Learning

• Yes. The rights and responsibilities of parents for homeschooling their children are found in The Public Schools Act. For more information, see Legislation. Parents, legal guardians, or any person designated by parents or legal guardians may homeschool.

• A parent may homeschool children from two families.

• The person providing the education can be the parents or someone the parents have designated.

• Parents must notify the Homeschooling Office of their intention to homeschool and provide a program outline every year. Parents are also required to submit January and June Homeschooling Progress Reports annually.
• Homeschool Liaisons may contact you regarding your program outline or your child’s progress.

• The local Education Authority is responsible for the educational programming of First Nations students. First Nations families living on reserve who wish to homeschool their children must obtain written permission from their Education Authority and provide it to the Homeschooling Office before the Student Notification Form can be processed.

• For information on programming for adults, including non-credit literacy options and the Mature Student High School Diploma, please visit Adult Learning and Literacy.

• All parents or legal guardians (if applicable) that have legal authority to make educational decisions for their child, with the exception of sole legal custody agreements, must agree to homeschooling and be included in the parent(s)/guardian(s) information section of all forms.

  This includes (but is not limited to) parents with a court order (indicating shared custody or educational decision-making authority), parents with no court order, or a social worker with Child and Family Services.

  Where there is a separation or divorce, please submit a copy of the custody agreement to the Homeschooling Office and ensure all parent(s)/guardian(s) sign in ink when submitting a paper version of the Student Notification Form.

• No. Provincial funding is not available to families who homeschool.

• There is no charge to homeschool. Costs to acquire the resources to ensure an appropriate education vary according to the curriculum selected, the subjects taken, and the grade level of the student.

• Parents may choose to use Manitoba curriculum as one of their curriculum options, but there is no requirement to do so. See Planning and Reporting.

• The Program Outline must include language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. It is recommended physical education, and options such as arts education (e.g. music, drama, visual arts, dance), other languages, and career development be included.

• Parents may choose to use Manitoba curriculum as one of their curriculum options, but there is no requirement to do so.

• A homeschooled student may enrol in a public or independent school provided the school agrees to this arrangement. Parents generally make such arrangements so that their children can take specific courses (e.g., Band, Physical Education/Health Education, Computer Science) or courses that parents feel that they cannot adequately teach (e.g., Physics, Senior Years Mathematics, other language).

• Services such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psycho-educational assessments and programming are the responsibility of the parent.
• For more information, contact the Homeschooling Office.

• Homeschooled students are not required to write provincial tests, but they may do so. If parents choose to have their children write these tests, they should make arrangements with their local school well in advance so that accommodations can be made.

No. Only public or funded independent schools grant high school credits and issue marks transcripts.

• Homeschooled students are not eligible to receive a Manitoba High School Diploma unless they have fulfilled Manitoba’s graduation requirements.

• A child may be a notified homeschooled student as early as September of the calendar year in which they turn five. A child must be a notified homeschooled student by September of the calendar year in which they turn seven.

• Homeschooling notification is no longer required when a student enrolls in a public or independent school, reaches the age of 18, or completes Grade 12.

There are four steps in the process to homeschool in Manitoba: Notifying, Processing, Confirmation and Reporting.

• STEP 1: Notifying
  A Student Notification Form must be completed annually for each student of compulsory school age. Student Notification Forms must be submitted by September 1st for returning families, or 30 days after establishing your homeschool for new families. When submitting an online form, the declaration section must be completed. When submitting a paper Student Notification Form, all applicable parents must sign in ink. All submitted paper forms missing required information will be returned.
• STEP 2: Processing
  The Homeschooling Office processes Student Notification Forms. Homeschooling liaisons may contact parents to clarify information. For returning families, Student Notification Forms will be processed when all required forms from the previous school year have been submitted.
• STEP 3: Confirmation
  The Homeschooling Office sends a letter of Confirmation of Notification to parents once the Student Notification Forms are processed.
• STEP 4: Reporting
  Parents complete and submit a January and June Progress Report for each student.

• Parents can access online forms by clicking on the Homeschool Forms green button on the Homeschooling webpage. To obtain a paper version of the Student Notification form, contact the Homeschooling Office.

• There is no legal requirement for parents to notify their school division and/or neighbourhood school. If the student is currently attending a school, it is suggested that parents notify the school of their intention to homeschool.

• As Homeschooling Liaisons are assigned by geographical area, you will be asked where you live. Your Liaison will assist you with any questions you may have.

• Parents must consult with their local school principal, and if necessary, alternate arrangements may be made.

• Students with special needs require appropriate educational programming to meet their individual learning needs. Consultation with a Homeschooling Liaison is advised.

• Homeschool parents/guardians must inform the Homeschooling Office of their intention to travel prior to leaving Manitoba for an extended period of time. The submission of Student Notification Form(s) for each student which includes a program outline for language arts, mathematics, science and social studies is required. Parents/guardians must also submit the January and June Progress Reports. If alternative arrangements are needed, contact the Homeschooling Office.
• If students are enrolled in school, contact the school principal to determine the program of studies while travelling.

Yes, families can homeschool for high school from grades 9 to 12. When a student is homeschooled for the senior years, study in each of the four core areas (Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) is required. A minimum of 16 courses must be completed over the four years. When considering this option, please note the student does not meet the requirements for a Manitoba High School Diploma. The Homeschooling Office cannot review student course work for the purpose of granting credits leading to a Manitoba High School Diploma.

Yes, families can combine homeschooling with school enrolment. An example of combining homeschooling and attendance in a public or funded independent school is when a family homeschools for part of the student’s senior years education (for example, grades 9 and 10) and then enrols the student in a public or funded independent school for the other part (for example, grades 11 and 12). Please note the school principal is responsible for making placement decisions (grade level equivalency), as well as for determining whether homeschool courses (non-Manitoba course completions) should receive Manitoba senior years credit(s). Students enrolled in public or funded independent schools who meet provincial graduation requirements receive a Manitoba High School Diploma.

Two virtual schools in Manitoba offer all students the option to enroll. Parents are responsible for any expenses incurred. Visit InformNet or Teacher Mediated Option (TMO).

Homeschool senior years students (minimum age 16) may enrol in the High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP). This trades training option is supported by Apprenticeship Manitoba and allows students to start apprenticeship training at the senior years level. Contact the Homeschooling Office for more information.

Adult Learning Centres (ALCs) are located throughout the province and offer online or in class instruction from Manitoba certified teachers. Students must be a minimum of 19 years of age. Students can earn high school credits and complete a high school diploma.

Most employers and some community colleges and universities recognize GED certificates. They may be accepted for employment, apprenticeship admission, and other training programs. The GED certificate is not a high school diploma; rather, it certifies that the holder has a general educational background relative to that of the average high school graduate. Homeschooled students age 17-18, that have completed their 12th year of education, may have the age 19 eligibility requirement waived. Contact the Homeschooling Office concerning this waiver.

The most important factors are:

• Developing a well thought out educational plan for each child.
• whether these are programs that have already been developed (e.g., InformNet, TMO, Structured Curricula)
• Monitoring, evaluating and recording each child’s progress, and providing on-going feedback.
• Ensuring Student Notification Forms and January and June Homeschooling Progress Reports are submitted within the required timelines.

• Families are encouraged to retain all homeschooling records including Student Notification forms, and January/June Homeschooling Progress Reports. An important part of effective instruction is evaluating and documenting a child’s progress. A portfolio containing samples of a child’s work may be used to record and show growth over time.
• Families are also encouraged to retain the Confirmation of Notification letters received each year from the Homeschooling Office, as verification of education for any inquiring authority (e.g. Canada Revenue Agency, Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada, local public school division).

• Homeschooled students studying non-Manitoba curricula are not eligible to receive a Manitoba High School Diploma. Families are encouraged to retain all homeschooling records including Student Notification forms, and January/June Homeschooling Progress Reports. Homeschooling families are responsible for post-secondary and career planning by determining the entrance/application requirements for further study or employment. Homeschooled students seeking post-secondary admission are encouraged to contact the registrar’s office to determine the entrance requirements that could include supporting documentation such as a resume, portfolio of work, etc.

Apprenticeship programs are a work-based post-secondary training program that leads to a Certificate of Qualification in a skilled trade. Most trade programs take 2-4 years to complete and they combine approximately 80 percent paid-on-the job training with 20 percent technical training in the classroom.

Some post-secondary institutions may request a high school mark transcript for admission. Please note the Homeschooling Office cannot provide student mark transcripts. Homeschooling parents may choose to create mark transcripts for their children. Sample transcript templates are available online and can be found through an online search.

• Contact the school principal. Parents may be asked to provide evidence of their child’s homeschooling program.
• If a student moves from homeschooling to full-time attendance in a school at a point during the school year, parents are to inform the Homeschooling Office so that accurate records can be maintained.

• Principals of schools are responsible for making grade level placement decisions, as well as for determining whether non-Manitoba course completions should receive Manitoba Senior Years credit(s). For more information, see Evaluating Non-Manitoba Course Completions for Senior Years Credits ( 325 KB).
• For this reason, it is strongly recommended parents demonstrate what their children learned and how well they achieved the goals of their homeschooling program by providing samples of work collected over time to the receiving school.