Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the procedure for homeschooling?
- Register your child on the Ministry’s DEM secure site)
- Send your notice of intent to homeschool@EMSB.qc.ca.
- You will be assigned a DEM resource person.
- Submit your child’s learning project to your DEM resource person within 30 days of registering.
- Consult available EMSB resources as needed, e.g. textbooks, modules.
- Schedule monitoring meeting with your DEM resource person.
- Prepare your midyear monitoring report with your DEM resource person.
- Prepare completion report and end-of-year evaluations for each subject (portfolio, teacher evaluation, or Ministry evaluation). This is a DEM requirement.
- Homeschoolers finishing Grade 6 must take Ministry exams in ELA and math.
- Homeschoolers finishing Secondary 4 and 5 must take Ministry exams in compulsory subjects.
What is the EMSB’s role?
In addition to general services we:
- Support homeschooling families in the acquisition of resources and educational services;
- Provide families with up-to-date information regarding the Homeschooling Legal Framework;
- Help families ensure their children meet all requirements for their high school leaving diploma;
- Operate a Homeschooling Resource Centre;
- Offer access to our partner schools for the following services:
- Science lab
- Auditorium
- Gymnasium
- Library
- Visual Arts room
What is my role when I homeschool my child?
- The parent is the educator. By choosing to homeschool, the parent assumes this responsibility.
What is the difference between homeschooling and online schooling (Quebec Virtual Academy)?
- When homeschooling, parents teach, find resources, and evaluate their child.
- Quebec Virtual Academy is an online secondary program where teachers work with students who meet certain exceptional criteria.
EMSB Services
How can I get textbooks from the EMSB?
- After you have registered with the DEM and the EMSB, use this Request for Loan of Textbooks form to select the textbooks you need, by level, from the list provided.
- Email your completed form to homeschool@emsb.qc.ca. We will contact you to set up a pick-up date and time.
How do I get workbooks? What workbooks are the schools using?
- Although textbooks are provided by the EMSB, workbooks are not. These need to be purchased by parents, if they feel they would helpful for their child.
- Workbooks can be purchased through publishers, with proof of homeschooling registration.
Can I homeschool my child in English if I don’t have a certificate of eligibility?
- Yes, you can!
- You will need to be affiliated, though, to a French Service Centre. This means that:
- Your communication with the Service Centre will be in French.
- The French Service Centre can only offer resources in French. You will be required to find your own English resources (see EMSB Learning Modules).
- Your child will have to write the Grade 4 and Secondary 2 (Grade 8) French exams. Talk to your resource person about other exam requirements.
I’m homeschooling my child but will be out of the country for a period of time. What do I do?
- If you will be out of the province for less than 180 days, continue homeschooling and communicating with your DEM resource person.
- If you will be out of the province for more than 180 days, you are no longer eligible for homeschooling. Your file will be closed with the DEM. Although you will no longer be reporting to the DEM, we strongly recommend that you continue pursuing your learning goals.
At what age can my child access Homeschooling Services?
My child is five years old. Can we homeschool?
- You cannot register with the DEM until the year your child turns six (before July 1).
- There is no official kindergarten year when homeschooling. However, we strongly encourage you to begin age-appropriate learning activities to ensure that your child is prepared for Grade 1. As well, you might want to visit Quebec’s Kindergarten curriculum.
My child is 16 years old. Do I have to register them for homeschooling?
- If your child turns 16 before July 1, they are no longer eligible to register with the DEM. However, the EMSB will help you find the best pathway to complete their secondary credits. Contact us at: homeschooling@emsb.qc.ca.
- If your child turns 16 on or after July 1, they must continue to register with the DEM.
I want to discontinue homeschooling and send my child back to a school. What is the process?
- Parents must inform the DEM and the EMSB homeschooling office that they want to withdraw their child from homeschooling.
- Parents must register their child at the school of their choice within 10 business days from the date they withdraw from homeschooling.
- The school may ask for the child’s completion report and portfolio from their last completed homeschooling year. They may also ask that the child take a diagnostic test for placement.
Exams
Where can I find information about the Ministry exams? Which exams are mandatory?
- Please see the DEM’s Guide for Parents.
Does my child have to take exams in Grade 4 and Secondary 2 (Grade 8) like in the French sector?
- The English school boards do not offer mandatory exams at these levels.
- If your child has English eligibility, they will not have to take these exams.
How do I sign my children up for exams?
- Inform your DEM resource person that your child will be taking exams.
- Fill out the Request for Evaluations form and send it to homeschool@emsb.qc.ca.
Can my child write their Ministry exams in English if they are attached to a French service centre?
- You will need to make a request to your DEM resource person.
- Without English eligibility, homeschoolers can only be authorized to write the following mandatory MEQ exams in English:
- Grade 6: English Language Arts and Mathematics
- Grade 10: History of Quebec and Canada; Science Theory (not the practical exam); Math Reasoning (not the Situational Problem)
- Grade 11: ELA Writing and Reading Competencies (not the Talk Competency); Français langue seconde programme de base or Français Enrichi (not the Interagir Competency)
When are the Ministry exams given?
- Grade 6 exams are only given in May and June.
- Grade 10 and 11 exams are given in May-June and January; make-up sessions for failed exams are offered in January and August.
Can I see old exams?
- According to ministerial directives, we are not allowed to share exams from previous years. However, during familiarization sessions for Grades 6, 10, and 11 exams, homeschooled learners are given the opportunity to review an example of an authorized past exam.
My child has special needs. Can they have accommodations for the exams?
- Yes! Contact us at homleschool@emsb.qc.ca. We will send you the Ministry form you will need. The EMSB can provide accommodations that are permitted by the MEQ, depending on the type of exam. Send the completed forms and a copy of your child’s learning project to: homeschool@emsb.qc.ca.
How can my child obtain a Diplôme d’études secondaire (DES)?
- Your child will need to acquire at least 54 credits in compulsory courses and electives. They receive credits by completing ministerial exams, local school board exams, and end-of-year projects.
- Contact your DEM resource person and the EMSB homeschooling office at the beginning of Secondary 4 (Grade 10) to discuss your child’s learning plan.
My child is not aiming for a DES. Do they still have to write the ministry exams?
- Yes, all homeschoolers must write the compulsory exams in Grades 10 and 11.
How can my child prepare for the Science practical exam?
- The best way to prepare for the Science practical exam in Secondary 4 (Grade 10) is to visit one of our schools’ science labs to practice two or three times. You can make arrangements through the homeschooling office, by completing the Request for Use of School Facility form.
Complementary Services
What complementary services does EMSB provide?
Contact us at homeschool@emsb.qc.ca for more information.
Pedagogical Services and Resources
My child is having a hard time in certain subjects. What can I do?
- EMSB can refer families to tutors.
- We can set you up with services like the Math Help Services license (for a fee).
- The site Alloprof offers access to online tutors.
Why are there no textbooks available for English Language Arts (ELA) and French Second Language (FSL)? What are my options?
- There are no Ministry-approved textbooks or workbooks that follow the QEP for these subjects.
- The EMSB has created learning modules for elementary grades. These modules provide educational units that are aligned with the QEP. They offer pedagogical guidance as well as practice in FSL, ELA, math, science, and for social sciences (Grades 1 and 2).
- There are resources available online at Alloprof and LEARN Quebec.
- Visit your community library!