AQED files legal action against the Quebec government on behalf of its members
Last June, when the Ministry of Education first imposed mandatory ministerial exams upon them, homeschooled elementary and high school children were caught in stressful situations. These exams took place under poor conditions that did not take into consideration the special needs of the majority of these students. Despite the many efforts by AQED to question the Minister, he has remained silent and refuses to intervene. AQED has therefore been forced to file a safeguard order in Superior Court against the Quebec government.
Testimonials from homeschooling families
My son is 13 and in grade 7; he has autism. I took him out of school because his behaviour was uncontrollable. …Since we started homeschooling he has changed so much. He is calm and relaxed. …I don’t want to risk him going back to school and getting triggered and acting out.
As a homeschooling family, our days are spent learning throughout the day. The 6th grade ministry exams means that my son loses 6 days of full-time learning at home. Not only does this affect my 6th grader but also his 3rd grade sibling, since he has to tag along.
This year my 11 year old son has to write the Grade 6 ministry. This has caused severe stress and anxiety for him this entire homeschooling year. …He has a language disorder and severe performance and separation anxiety. As the homeschool year has progressed, he has felt ill with anxiety …He has developed constant stomach aches and nausea …We’ve seen his interest in learning fade as we have had to change our homeschooling methods that suit him best in order to prepare him for these exams. This is devastating for us as parent-educators. One of the main reasons we decided to homeschool was for my son to re-engage his passion for learning that had been extinguished by the school system.
In the Media
| 2022/10/05 | Homeschooling – The families sue Quebec | La Ronge Northerner |
| 2022/05/23 | Quebec ministerial exams now mandatory for homeschoolers; parents’ group protests | CTV News |
| 2022/05/23 | Quebec Ministerial Exams now Mandatory for Homeschoolers; Parents’ group protest | iHeart Radio |
To Dive Deeper…
AQED calls on candidates for the 2022 elections
Press release – Homeschooling Families Issues
Ministerial Exams in a Home-Education Context
Recommendations for the Direction de l’enseignement à la maison [PDF]
Obstacles et iniquités en contexte d’éducation à domicile, octobre 2021
Demandes de l’AQED et ses membres présentées au ministère de l’Éducation [PDF – French only]
Réflexions sur la réussite éducative au Québec au-delà de la pandémie, avril 2021
Mémoire présenté dans le cadre du Rendez-vous pour la réussite éducative : l’éducation au-delà de la pandémie [PDF] – French only.
For more information : [email protected]
Are you a homeschooling family that has questions or needs support? Find more information on the Getting Support page.
