Unschooling in Calgary?

Question

I live in Calgary and am in 9th grade, but I want to be unschooled for grade 10 (high school). My mom goes to work and nobody's at home to teach me, so homeschooling wouldn't work and I want to learn about what im interested in by myself, especially in the areas of drama and music (of course i would also learn other subjects too like math, science, etc..). I've tried researching unschooling laws but couldn't find any. Homeschooling in Calgary requires parents to register with an accredited school board (don't know what that means...), so is the unschooling law usually the same as homeschooling laws? And if I do decide to unschool do I have keep records of my work at home and do I need to take some kind of government testing like public schools do?

Also is it okay to start unschooling in grade 10 (I really want to..), because I've been told that unschooling is only good for younger students in grade 1-6.

Answer 1

In Alberta your parents have to register you with a school board - here is a list of boards.

http://www.homeschoolersguide.ca/partner...

Yes you need to keep a portfolio of the work you have done and you meet with a facilitator at least 2x a year to show them your progress.  

There are a lot of different options in Alberta.  The best way to figure out what you want to do is for you and your mom to get together with a facilitator (teacher) from a board and discuss it.   In Alberta there is funding available to help buy curriculum and pay for some of your homeschooling needs.

Answer 2

Unschooling is just a way to homeschool. There is no such thing as "unschooling laws" anywhere.

Homeschooling across Alberta requires EVERYBODY to be registered. If you aren't registered you are truant. There are lots and lots of school boards you can choose from--they don't have to be where you are living. For unschooling, WISDOM http://www.wisdomhomeschooling.com is known as being the most supportive, but there is also another board, Education Unlimited http://www.educationunlimited.ca/ who supports unschooling and helps families get the students into post-secondary without an Alberta high school diploma.

Yes, you have to keep records to show what you have been doing. Your mother will also be required to submit an education plan for the year and you two will have to meet with a teacher from the board at least twice a year.

Unschooling is fine at your age if you are truly motivated. If you plan on gettting a diploma, you'll have to make sure you study what you need to. It's NOT like you hear about in the US where parents can just give diplomas.

ADDED: If you want a high school diploma, you'll have to do tests. If you just want the 30-level credits to get into post-secondary, then you have to challenge the course with the school board you are registered with (which means doing a test for core subjects, possibly others) PLUS do the Diploma Exams.

Also, the HSLDA Canada page is not up-to-date for Alberta's laws. The changes wouldn't really affect you however (there are no longer required tests for 3, 6 and 9). As well, their wording is rather harsh--"extensive monitoring". It's not that extensive. Two visits a year. And all they really do is have a look at what you've done and write it down. The teachers are also there for general homeschooling assistance if needed.