Northwest Territories

Parents homeschooling their child in Northwest Territories need to register with a local school and homeschool under the supervision of a district education authority. The school who registers a homeschool program will be responsible for assessing and supporting the homeschool program. Students working towards a diploma must follow the the Northwest Territories curriculum standards.

Notification:

Section 20(2) of the Education Act outlines that parents must register any child they wish to homeschool, with a local school in the district where they reside. If they reside outside an education district, they must register with a school in the district nearest to where they reside.

Qualifications:

None

Days/Hours:

None

Subjects:

Students working towards a Northwest Territories diploma must follow the NWT curriculum standards. The District Education Authority determines the language in which children are to receive instruction. Section 74 of the Education Act allows homeschooling parents to apply to the Minister of education for an exemption allowing them to set their own language of instruction. The NWT subject areas are:

Bookkeeping:

Parents may choose to keep a portfolio of student work to submit to the school to meet their assessment requirements. Saving a selection of tests/assessments may also be beneficial for use during assessments by the principal or appointed official.

Assessment:

Section 2(c) of the NWT Homeschooling Regulation outlines that the parent and principal (or whomever the superintendent has designated to work with homeschoolers registered in the district) will agree on a method of assessing student work. Parents are expected to provide the materials agreed upon to be used for assessments two times per school year to show the student’s academic progress.

Section 4.1 (d) The principal is required to annually report the student progress to the superintendent.

Intervention:

If the principal or designated official is does not find that sufficient student progress is demonstrated, he or she may make suggestions for improving the education program. Section 4.2 (g) of NWT Homeschooling Regulation states that homeschool parents must make all reasonable efforts to comply with the suggested changes outlined by the principal or designated official. A copy of the recommendations will also be submitted to the superintendent in accordance with Section 4.4.

Section 4.2 (c) allows that if the principal is concerned that the student is not making sufficient progress, the principal may request the superintendent to investigate the homeschool program. 4.2 (d) allows the principal to recommend to the superintendent that the homeschool program be terminated.

Section 4.3 requires the principal to provide a copy of all reports containing recommendations for amending the homeschool program, as well as reports suggesting the review or termination of homeschool programs.

Services Available

Extra Curricular Activities

Since homeschooled students are registered with a local school, they are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities offered through the school.

Part Time Enrolment

With the permission of the principal, homeschooled students may attend school part time.

School resources:

Section 4(a) of the Home Schooling Regulations outlines that assessments, resources and facilities must, when possible, be made available by the principal and superintendent upon request by a homeschooling parent. This may include access to the gymnasium, computers, library access, science lab. Schools may need to limit the use to after school hours but should be willing to work with the homeschool parents and students.

Reimbursement of costs:

The Homeschooling Directive instructs parents to provide receipts to the District Education Authority in order to be reimbursed for the costs associated with the homeschooling program. For each registered homeschooled student, the school will receive funding to support the homeschool program, and funding set aside to reimburse the parent’s expenses.

Links

Northwest Territories Education Act
Homeschooling Regulations – Government of Northwest Territories
Homeschooling Directive