Most educators would be familiar with education provided to children in specific agencies such as “schoolhouses”. These agencies could be a one-room school building in a rural setting, or it could be a massive multi-storied school building in an urban setting. Minimal education is mandated in Canada for all children aged 5 years to 16 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents lost their jobs, and all schools were closed across Canada; parents were expected to teach their children at home. The COVID-19 pandemic elicited one type of homeschooling, however, on a regular basis there are many homeschooling practices across Canada. Internationally, homeschooling is viewed differently and may or may not be allowed. The Canadian federal government funds education and mandates that all children must attend school until the age of 16 years, but the provincial governments maintain jurisdiction of education provided in each province. Each province sets up a provincial curriculum through its own Ministry of Education that sets rules and regulations for education entities, including homeschooling. Homeschooling is readily available to allow parents to provide education for their children. The purpose of this research project is to describe the current state of homeschooling in the Western Canadian province of Saskatchewan and to explore its feasibility as an alternative to more formal, centralized education.

This is a case study project that will include an environmental scan, literature review, and a semi-structured interview with one home school provider. Ethics approval for interview data collection is currently pending from the University of Saskatchewan Research Ethics Board.

Preliminary results indicate that homeschooling in Saskatchewan is an alternative to mainstream education as there are curricular standards that at-home educators must follow to meet provincial guidelines in Saskatchewan. Current partnerships between school divisions and parents create a safe and effective alternative for educating youth.
It is critical that curricular models be supported in the home and government policies are available to support at-home educators.

Saskatchewan’s model for homeschooling is an effective framework to follow for student success.

Keywords: Teaching, children, parents, provincial regulations.