The Short Answer
Homeschooling is legal in Ontario, and it is light on paperwork. Under the Education Act, a child is excused from school if receiving satisfactory instruction at home. You notify your school board with a short written notice of intent, which Policy/Program Memorandum No. 131 sets out, and the board acknowledges it and normally does not investigate. There is no funding, no required curriculum, no mandatory testing, and no reporting. You send a fresh notice each year, and the rest is up to you.
Verified June 2026. Reflects the Education Act and Policy/Program Memorandum No. 131 (PPM 131).
Homeschooling in Ontario at a Glance
| Notice required? | A written notice of intent to your school board, recommended each year under PPM 131. |
|---|---|
| Approval needed? | No. The board acknowledges your notice and normally does not investigate. |
| Testing or assessment required? | No. Provincial tests like EQAO are optional for homeschoolers. |
| Required curriculum? | No. You choose your own program and approach. |
| Recordkeeping or reporting? | None required. Keeping your own records is wise, mostly for high school. |
| Funding available? | No. Ontario does not fund homeschooling families. |
| Compulsory age range | 6 to 18 years old. |
The Law Behind Ontario Homeschooling
Two documents shape homeschooling in Ontario. The first is the Education Act, which excuses a child from attending school when the child is receiving satisfactory instruction at home or elsewhere. The second is Policy/Program Memorandum No. 131, known as PPM 131, which tells school boards how to handle home schooling families. PPM 131 is policy, not law, so it guides how boards behave rather than binding you with extra rules.
The practical upshot is gentle. When you give your board written notice that you are home educating, the board should treat your child as excused and should not investigate. The only exception is if the board has reasonable grounds to suspect your child is not receiving satisfactory instruction, in which case it can look into it. For the vast majority of families, that never happens.
Why There Is No Funding, and Why That Can Be Fine
Ontario does not give homeschooling families money. There is no grant, no reimbursement, and no learning allowance, so you pay for your own curriculum and resources. That is a real cost, and it is fair to weigh it.
The trade is freedom. Provinces that pay families also supervise them, with evaluations, plans, and reporting attached to the cheque. Ontario asks for none of that. You are not accountable to a teacher, you do not defend a program, and no one reviews your year. For many families, owning their child's education outright is worth more than a few hundred dollars with strings attached. If you want to spend wisely, our guide on how to choose homeschool curriculum helps you get value without overspending.
Choosing the right curriculum gets easier when you know what to teach, what to skip, and where to start.
Get the GuideA simple step-by-step plan for getting started.
How to Start Homeschooling in Ontario, Step by Step
Step 1: Write Your Notice of Intent
Write a short letter to your school board stating that you intend to provide home schooling for your child. Include each child's name, gender, and date of birth, plus your home address and phone number. That is all the board needs. You do not have to use any particular form, and you do not have to describe your program. For a template and a full walk-through, see our guide on the Ontario notice of intent.
Step 2: Send It to Your School Board
Send the notice to your local school board and keep a copy for your records. If your child is currently enrolled in school, sending the notice is how you formally withdraw them, so it matters more in that case. Email or mail both work, and a dated copy protects you.
Step 3: Receive the Board's Acknowledgment
The board should send back a letter acknowledging your notice and confirming your child is excused from attendance. Keep that acknowledgment. It is the only piece of official paper most Ontario homeschoolers ever need.
Step 4: Teach Your Own Program
From here, you teach. There is no required curriculum and no method you must follow, so you can use a boxed program, build your own, unschool, or blend approaches. To find your child's starting point, our free reading assessment gives you a clear read in about ten minutes.
Step 5: Renew Each Year
Send a new notice of intent each year you keep homeschooling. It is the same short letter, and it keeps your file current with the board.
What You Do Not Have to Do
It is worth saying plainly what Ontario does not ask of you, because new parents brace for all of it. You do not follow the provincial curriculum. You do not write the EQAO tests or any other mandatory exam. You do not submit lesson plans, portfolios, or progress reports. You do not host a teacher visit. You do not prove anything beyond the notice itself. The freedom is the whole point of homeschooling here, and it is real. For the full picture of how curriculum freedom works, see our guide on Ontario homeschool curriculum freedom.
High School, Credits, and the OSSD
High school is where Ontario homeschoolers plan ahead. Home schooling does not grant the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, the OSSD, on its own, because your teen is not earning official credits. Teens who want the OSSD usually take credit courses through an online or correspondence school, or enrol part-time at a local high school for specific courses while you teach the rest.
University is reachable either way. Many Ontario colleges and universities have homeschool admission policies and accept applicants with a portfolio, course work, and standardized test scores rather than a diploma, and homeschoolers can also apply as mature students. The move that matters is planning early, around grade 10, so the credits or the application package are ready when your teen needs them. Keeping records through high school, even though nothing requires it, pays off here. For a full breakdown of how the OSSD works for homeschoolers, see our guide on Ontario homeschool high school and the OSSD.
Val's Note: What This Really Means for You
Ontario is the province where the law mostly gets out of your way, and that throws some parents more than strict rules would. With no funding and no oversight, there is no checklist to hide behind, just you and your child and the year ahead. If that feels like a lot, take a breath. Freedom is not the same as being unsupported, it just means the support is your choice rather than the board's.
Here is what I would do. Send the one-page notice, file the board's acknowledgment, and then ignore the bureaucracy for the rest of the year, because there is none. Pour the energy you are not spending on paperwork into the teaching and into a simple records folder, mostly for high school later. Ontario trusts you to do this. That trust is a gift, and most families rise to it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Homeschooling Legal in Ontario?
Yes. Under the Education Act, a child is excused from attendance if receiving satisfactory instruction at home. You notify your school board in writing, as PPM 131 sets out.
Do I Need Permission?
No. You notify your board with a written notice of intent. The board acknowledges it and normally does not investigate, and you do not need approval to begin.
Does Ontario Fund Homeschooling?
No. There is no funding for Ontario homeschooling families. You cover your own resources, and the trade-off is near-total freedom and no oversight.
Do I Have to Test My Kids or Follow the Curriculum?
No. There is no required curriculum, no mandatory testing, and no reporting. EQAO and other provincial tests are optional for homeschoolers.
How Does a Homeschooled Teen Graduate?
Home schooling does not grant the OSSD on its own. Teens earn credits through online or correspondence courses, enrol part-time, or apply to college and university through homeschool or mature admission routes.
Sources
This guide was verified in June 2026 against the following primary sources. Board practices vary, so confirm details with your local school board.