A letter regarding the proposed Ontario law to deny driver's
licenses to anyone under 18 who is not actively in school.
This is the letter I have sent to both the Ministry of Education and my
local MPP (Willowdale -- davidzimmer.ca) I know it doesn't encompass
the broad range of homeschooling philosophies, but I felt that these
were arguments that could be raised that outsiders could understand. I
understand there is much more to this issue, but I felt the points I
addressed below might have the best chance of being well-taken by
bureaucrats. (Plus, with my cross homeschool-gifted affiliations, I
thought this might be a good route to take.)
I'll let you know what, if anything, I hear back! :)
Sarah.
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I am writing to inquire as to the proposed legislation re: keeping kids
in school until age 18. I volunteer for provincial and local home
schooling organizations, and everyone is wondering how this legislation
will affect them.
Currently, students who have withdrawn from the public school system are
only required to notify their local school (or school board) of their
intent to do so. The school board is supposed to confirm receipt of
this letter, but some never do. Consequently, many families who are
legally home schooling have no documentation to support this right that
they have chosen to exercise. Will, for example, membership in one of
our provincial organizations qualify as a means to demonstrate that
their children are actively "schooling"? If not, then home schoolers
very much need to know what other means can satisfy this schooling
requirement to an external agency, for example, the Ministry of
Transportation for a driver's license.
Secondly, many home schoolers are able to accelerate their high school
studies, and some finish their "high school" program in advance of being
18 years old. Again, since they are home schooling, they do not receive
official confirmation of their graduation through an accredited
diploma. Rather, they and/or their parents have determined that they
have completed the equivalent of a high school education. This may
involve non-credit experiences, such as self-study with commercial
programs or affiliation with unaccredited content-delivery services.
Since most students do not finish these types of program before the age
of 16, this really hasn't been much of a concern under the current
regulations. But, many home schoolers are quite advanced with their
studies, and yet, may not intend to continue on to post-secondary
education right away. With many of these students accomplishing their
equivalent of a high school diploma before the age of 18, but no ties
with the Ministry of Education to confer such accomplishment, what
should these students do when faced with this current legislation?
Thirdly, many home schoolers incorporate volunteer placements/job
shadowing/mentoring or even study abroad exchanges or coop placements as
part of their senior "high school" years, especially if their academic
work has been completed. Again, they are not under the jurisdiction of
a local school board and cannot provide evidence of undergoing
traditional schooling. What should these students do to demonstrate
they are not "drop outs"?
In essence, these students are not traditional schoolers, and they do
not have the same structures in place to authorize or rubber stamp their
experiences. The homeschooling community is deeply interested in knowing
how they will be represented and protected under this new legislation.
Thank you sincerely for your time, and looking forward to your response,
Sarah A. Rainsberger
Executive Member,
OFTP (Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents)
Private School and Home School Liaison,
EDGO-TAGO (Educators of the Gifted of Ontario - The Association for the
Gifted of The Council for Exceptional Children for Ontario)
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