Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Homeschooling?

Over the past couple of months, I have seen many references in the media to “parents homeschooling their children” in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
letter door

Over the past couple of months, I have seen many references in the media to “parents homeschooling their children” in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a classroom teacher employed by School District 57, I would like to clarify that parents are not, for the most part, homeschooling. Their children are participating in remote or distance learning, with content and instruction continuing to be provided by B.C. teachers.

As defined by the BC Ministry of Education, homeschooling “is an alternative method of teaching offered outside the B.C. educational system. Typically, a family member delivers the entire educational program to children at home.” 

The ministry makes clear that homeschooling programs are not:
• Supervised by a B.C.-certified teacher
• Required to meet provincial standards
• Inspected by the Ministry of Education
In the midst of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry has directed teachers across the province to provide continuity of learning for their students. Since spring break, my colleagues and I have been working to plan, prepare, disseminate and assess assignments for our students. We have offered our support as best we can by staying in regular contact with students and their families. This may seem like a petty point of semantics but I consider it a matter of professional integrity. 
With all of that said, I do not want to diminish the critically important contributions of parents. They have had to step into a new and challenging role, and they too should be recognized for their efforts to support their children’s education while balancing all of the other obligations of work and parenting.
What is currently happening in homes across the country is remote learning which, as my colleagues and I have learned during the last several weeks, requires as much, if not more, work by teachers than regular classroom instruction. Remote learning also requires cooperation between teachers, students, and parents. But remote learning is not synonymous with homeschooling. 

Matt Logan

Prince George