How to Homeschool in Quebec (2026): A Complete Guide

Verified June 2026. Reflects the Education Act and the Regulation respecting homeschooling (chapter I-13.3, r. 6.01).

Homeschooling in Quebec at a Glance

Notice required?	Yes, to both the Minister and your school service centre, by July 1 or within 10 days of leaving school.
Learning project?	Yes, within 30 days of your notice, covering at least the compulsory subjects.
Reporting?	Yes: one status report (months 3 to 5) plus two progress reports during the year, to the Minister.
Annual evaluation?	Yes, once a year, using one of the methods the regulation allows.
Funding available?	No. The evaluation and ministerial exams are free, but there is no grant.
Compulsory age range	6 to 16 years old.

The Law Behind Quebec Homeschooling

Quebec recognizes homeschooling in the Education Act, and the Regulation respecting homeschooling spells out exactly what families do. Compared with a notify-only province, Quebec is structured and demanding, with documents due at set points in the year. The upside of all that structure is clarity: you are never guessing what the Ministry wants, because the regulation lists it. Many families lean on the Quebec homeschooling association for templates and support, which turns the paperwork from daunting into routine.

The Ministère de l'Éducation, referred to here as the Minister, is your main point of contact, and your local school service centre is the second. You deal with both, and you keep copies of everything you send.

The July 1 Notice of Intent

Your year starts with a notice of intent. You send it to both the Minister and your school service centre no later than July 1, or within 10 days of the day your child last attended school if you are pulling them out mid-year. The Minister acknowledges your notice in writing within 15 days. You renew this notice every year you homeschool, so July 1 becomes a date you mark on the calendar.

The Learning Project

The learning project is the heart of Quebec's system. It is your plan for the year, and it has to cover at least the compulsory subjects, describing the learning your child will acquire and the competencies of the Quebec Education Program they will develop. You submit it to both the Minister and your school service centre within 30 days of your notice.

This is less intimidating than it reads. A learning project is a planning document, not a script you are locked into, and you can adjust it during the year as long as you note the changes. Templates from the homeschooling association make a first project far quicker to write. For a full walk-through of what to include and how to write each section, see our guide on how to write a Quebec learning project. If you are still choosing what to teach, our guide on how to choose homeschool curriculum helps you build the plan with confidence.

Reporting During the Year

The Status Report

Between the third and fifth month after you begin your learning project, you send the Minister a written status report. It describes the learning activities you have completed by subject, the approximate time you spent on each, and any changes you made to the plan. It is a progress check on the project itself, not on the child, and it keeps the Ministry in the loop mid-year.

The Two Progress Reports

You also prepare two written reports on your child's progress during the year and send them to the Minister. Each one shows how your child is learning and names the evaluations you used to measure it. Together with the status report, these reports are the running record that the Ministry follows. None of them is long, and keeping notes as you go makes each one quick to write. For a full breakdown of what each report requires and when it is due, see our guide on Quebec homeschool reporting.

The Annual Evaluation

Once a year, your child is evaluated, and the regulation gives you a choice of methods rather than forcing a single test. The options include the examinations set by the Minister, evaluation by your school service centre or a private educational institution, and evaluation by a person who holds a teaching licence, among others. You pick the method that fits your child. A family that dislikes high-stakes exams can choose an evaluation by a licensed teacher instead. To get a clear read on where your child sits before any evaluation, our free reading assessment gives you a concrete starting point in about ten minutes. For a full breakdown of all five methods, costs, and deadlines, see our guide on Quebec homeschool evaluation.

Graduation, Credits, and Ministerial Exams

For a Quebec Secondary School Diploma, homeschooled teens follow the same certification rules as students in school, which means they take the examinations set by the Minister. Your school service centre arranges for your child to be evaluated at no cost to earn the credits a recognized diploma requires. If your teen is aiming for a diploma and CEGEP, plan the senior years around those ministerial exams, and talk to your school service centre early about how the credits are recorded.

Not every family targets the provincial diploma on the standard timeline, and there are adult and alternative routes to credentials later. If a specific CEGEP program matters to your teen, check its admission requirements early so the right exams and records are in place.

Val's Note: What This Really Means for You

I will be honest: Quebec is the province where I would lean hardest on a template and a community. The paperwork is real, and trying to invent every document from scratch is what burns families out. The fix is not to white-knuckle it, it is to start from examples. The homeschooling association exists for exactly this, and once you have your first learning project and report formats, year two is mostly copy, update, and send.

So here is the plan I would give a friend in Quebec. Send the July 1 notice, write a learning project from a template that covers the compulsory subjects, and set three reminders for the status report and the two progress reports so they never sneak up on you. Pick an annual evaluation method that suits your child rather than the scariest one. Do that, and Quebec's structure stops feeling like a wall and starts feeling like a checklist you can clear every year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Homeschooling Legal in Quebec?

Yes. It is governed by the Education Act and the Regulation respecting homeschooling. You notify the Minister and your school service centre, submit a learning project, report during the year, and have your child evaluated annually.

What Is the Deadline to Notify?

You send your notice no later than July 1 each year, or within 10 days of the day your child last attended school. The Minister acknowledges it within 15 days.

What Is a Learning Project?

It is your plan for the year, covering at least the compulsory subjects and the competencies of the Quebec Education Program. You submit it to the Minister and your school service centre within 30 days of your notice.

Does Quebec Fund Homeschooling?

No. Quebec does not pay homeschooling families. You cover your own resources, though the annual evaluation and any ministerial exams are arranged at no cost.

How Is My Child Evaluated?

Each year your child is evaluated using one of the methods the regulation allows, such as ministerial examinations, evaluation by the school service centre, or evaluation by a holder of a teaching licence. For a diploma, kids take the examinations set by the Minister.

Sources

This guide was verified in June 2026 against the following primary sources. Confirm current deadlines and forms with the Ministère de l'Éducation and your school service centre.

• Gouvernement du Québec: Homeschooling process and steps
• Regulation respecting homeschooling (chapter I-13.3, r. 6.01)
• Gouvernement du Québec: Homeschooling overview