HOMESCHOOL LEGAL INFO
PPM 131
Legal Info
What is PPM 131?
PPM 131 is an important policy memo that informs how Ontario School Boards and schools are to communicate with homeschooling parents and the policies related to excusing children from school who are receiving homeschooling.
In Ontario, there is both home education law, and policy. The laws (link here) are the government’s requirements, while policy (link here) is what the government would like to see followed. The law is binding but there is no legal onus to follow policy.
If you are currently in communication with a school or school board, we suggest PPM 131 is useful to set parameters for this relationship. It has been given by the government and thus is their way of advising school boards on their interaction with you. This memorandum does not change the homeschool community’s interpretation of the law nor what is required of home educators.
Date of Issue:
June 17, 2002 Effective: Until revoked or modified
Subject:
HOME SCHOOLING
Application:
Chairs of District School Boards
Directors of Education
Secretaries of School Authorities
Principals of Elementary Schools
Principals of Secondary Schools
Principal of Independent Learning Centre
Introduction
This memorandum provides direction to school boards and schools concerning policies related to home schooling and the excusing of children from school who are receiving home schooling. School boards should bring this memorandum to the attention of parents who are providing home schooling.
In addition, this memorandum revokes and replaces the memorandum entitled “Determining Satisfactory Instruction Under Subsection 20(2) of the Education Act”, issued in 1981 by K. D. Johnson, the Provincial School Attendance Counsellor.
The sections and subsections of the Education Act that are relevant to this memorandum are listed in appendix A.