Families may withdraw their children to homeschool at any time of the year.
You do NOT have to submit a Letter of Intent or fill out any of the forms from Appendix D of PPM131.
Nowhere in the Education Act is there any legal requirement to inform the school board of your intentions to home educate, whether or not your child has ever been enrolled in the Ontario school system.
Please see our steps to getting started with homeschooling for details on how to withdraw your child.
If you choose to provide a written notification of your intent to homeschool, the OFTP has made a form template available for your use, based on the the sample letter provided in Appendix B of the government’s Policy/Program Memorandum No.131 (PPM131): Sample Letter Indicating Notification of Intent to Provide Home Schooling.
You may also use the sample form from PPM131 directly.
You do NOT have to fill out any of the forms from Appendix D of PPM131. Those are to be used by the school board in the event of an investigation.
Should you choose to notify the school/board that you are choosing to Homeschool you can access the OFTP form template of a written notification of intent to homeschool (not required) here:
- download the pdf version, print it, and fill it out by hand
- download the doc version directly, fill it out by editing it in your word processor
You may also use the form provided by your school board. Be aware, some school boards request more information than is strictly necessary on their intent to homeschool forms. You do NOT have to provide any more information than your child’s name, date of birth, gender, and your name and contact info. If the form provided by your school board asks for more information than necessary, we recommend using the OFTP form instead, if you choose to provide any notification of your intent to homeschool at all.
For your convenience, we have compiled a list of school board contact information and where to send your written notification of your intent to homeschool for each board. We have also noted which school boards have problematic, missing, misleading or incorrect information on their homeschooling documents, when we have been able to access them.
PPM131 directs school boards to reply to these written notifications of intent to homeschool with a letter of acknowledgement, based on Appendix C.
Not all school boards will do this automatically, so if you would like a written response, you may wish to request one specifically. Should they delay or refuse, or ask for more information you can file a complaint with the ombudsman Here are the details.
These letters of acknowledgement can be useful for
- accessing accredited high school courses through the Independent Learning Centre (ILC)
- as proof of homeschooling for legal purposes (ie. in the instance of a custody dispute, etc.)
- accessing school health support services (SHSS) for children requiring school-based therapies (i.e., OT, speech, etc.)
- as proof of care of children, for purposes of tax audits by the CRA
- as proof of care of children for social service income supports (though no longer required)
- accessing CAEC (through ILC) if your child is under age 19 (formerly known as the GED)
How to File a Formal Complaint Against the School in Ontario, Canada
Ontario parents have the right to homeschool under the Education Act Section 21) 2)a), and schools cannot demand additional forms, refuse withdrawals, or threaten social services. If the school continues to harass or intimidate the parent, delay withdrawal, or involve social services without cause, it’s time to file a formal complaint.
To File the Complaint, Take the Following Steps:
Step 1: Escalate a Written Complaint to the School Board
Send a Formal Complaint Letter to the Director of Education at the local school board.
Request an immediate response and demand compliance with Ontario law.
Give a deadline (7 days) to correct the issue.
Attach a copy of the previously submitted Intent to Homeschool letter.
Formal Complaint Letter to the School Board (Send via Certified Mail & Email)
[Parent’s Full Name]
[Parent’s Address]
[City, Province, Postal Code]
[Date]
Director of Education
[School Board Name]
[School Board Address]
[City, Province, Postal Code]
Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding School Interference with Homeschooling Rights
Dear [Director’s Name],
I am filing this formal complaint against [School Name] for failure to process my child’s withdrawal for homeschooling in compliance with Ontario law.
I submitted my Letter of Intent to Homeschool for my child, [Child’s Full Name], on [Date], yet the school has refused to acknowledge my legal right to homeschool, instead demanding unnecessary forms and threatening to involve social services.
This is a direct violation of Ontario’s Education Act. The Ministry of Education clearly states that no school board has the authority to deny or delay a homeschool withdrawal* once the letter of intent is submitted.
Immediate Demands for Compliance:
Remove my child from all school attendance and truancy tracking immediately.
Provide written confirmation of withdrawal within 7 days.
Cease all attempts to demand additional school board forms.
Failure to comply will result in escalation to the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario Ombudsman.
I expect a written response by [Date + 7 Days].
Sincerely,
[Parent’s Full Name]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
Attachments:
• Previously Submitted Letter of Intent to Homeschool
Step 2: File a Complaint with the Ontario Ministry of Education
If the school board does not comply, the parent should escalate the complaint to the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario Ombudsman.
Ontario Ministry of Education Complaint Process:
• Call: 1-800-387-5514
• Email: info@ontario.ca
• File an official complaint online: https://www.ontario.ca/page/complain-about-school-board
Ontario Ombudsman Complaint Process:
• Call: 1-800-263-1830
• File a complaint online: https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/complaints
Escalation Email to Ontario Ministry of Education
Subject: Urgent Complaint – School Refusing Homeschool Withdrawal
Dear Ontario Ministry of Education,
I am filing a formal complaint against [School Name] and [School Board Name] for refusing to acknowledge my legal right to homeschool my child, [Child’s Full Name].
I submitted my Letter of Intent to Homeschool on [Date], but the school has:
• Refused to process the withdrawal.
• Demanded additional unnecessary paperwork.
* In Ontario, school boards do not have the authority to deny or delay a homeschool withdrawal, provided parents follow the proper procedures. Parents simply need to inform the school board of their intent to homeschool, and the board must acknowledge this notification. The school board should assume satisfactory instruction is being provided unless they have specific reasons to believe otherwise, at which point they can initiate an inquiry.
Elaboration:
• No Denial or Delay:
Once a parent notifies the school board of their intention to homeschool, the board cannot refuse to allow the child to be withdrawn from school.
• Notification is Sufficient:
A simple written notification to the school and school board is usually sufficient, though some boards may have specific forms or requests for information.
• Presumption of Satisfactory Instruction:
The Ontario Ministry of Education directs school boards to assume that satisfactory instruction is being provided in the home, unless they have specific evidence to the contrary.
• Inquiries:
If a school board has a legitimate concern about the quality of the home schooling, they can initiate an inquiry process, but they cannot simply refuse to allow the child to be withdrawn.
• Right to Choose:
Ontario law acknowledges the parent’s prior right to choose the type of education their child receives, which is why homeschooling is a legitimate alternative.