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Firstly, a brief explanation of the history behind what are now your three Home Learning Options in BC might be helpful.

Under the definition of Traditional Homeschooling, parents have been free to teach their children at home as long as they register with a certified school. The only obligation that parents have is to provide their children with "a program" which has been relatively left "undefined." Under this classification there is no monitoring by, or accountability to, the Ministry.

The second option was to Enrol in a home based school program. Families that wanted full direction chose to enrol in correspondence programs such as SIDES or FVDES. However, another more creative option began in approximately 1988 when several Public Schools launched more flexible programs that allowed parents to choose how they met Prescribed Learning Outcomes and those resources and activities chosen by the parent would be paid for by the school. Over time the guidelines of these programs changed and some families who desired more freedom in educating their children returned to Traditional Homeschooling. But the option continued to be a good fit for many families. However, the Ministry clearly stated that programs under the public school umbrella could not incorporate or fund Faith based curriculum so many Christian families left these programs to maintain the freedom to integrate faith and education.

However a third option was beginning. In 2002 the Independent schools were a permitted to enter the arena with a few small pilot programs. These are now known as Distributed Learning Programs and there are now clear definitions in place within the BC School Act protecting the freedom of Christian family’s to incorporate faith based curricula if they are enrolled in an Independent School DL Program such as offered by RCOA.

See the BC Ministry’s own comparison table based on current regulations. Under these Ministry guidelines Distributed Learning makes the parent a partner in the teaching, and a B.C. certified teacher is responsible for your child's program. Courses are online, computer based or paper based. The teacher will also assess achievement and prepare written reports.

Any approved school can offer Distributed Learning (DL) to students. However, a Public School DL program may not permit the use of faith based curriculum. In a Christian DL school the advantages are that you may use Christian curriculum, have the support and professional guidance of a certified Christian teacher, and, in RCOA's case, be part of a school community that offers a Resource Center Classes , supportive teaching workshops, and a Curriculum & Program Activities Budget that should normally cover all costs of curriculum and school related resources. Of course, this DL option also means that your children are eligible for all government scholarships and the official B.C. government graduation certificate, the "Dogwood."

Therefore, one of the first decisions each parent needs to make is, "Which is right for our family?" To support you as you make this important decision, please review the following questions and use the comparison chart to assist you.

QUESTION #1

Do you want your children to learn at home, and do you desire complete control and independence from the Ministry while educating your children?

RESPONSE

If this is truly what you want, then you should register as homeschoolers. For details on what RCOA offers in the way of support to our registered students go to our main page and view the links under support. We at RCOA highly recommend also joining the BC Home Learners Association who has made it their goal to promote and protect the freedoms of homeschoolers in BC. Please take the time to visit their website www.bchla.bc.ca  and consider supporting them through a very reasonable membership.

QUESTION #2

Do you desire your children to learn at home, and are you willing to be accountable to the Ministry for your program, and:

 • Is it important for your children to be able to use Christian curriculum?

• Would it be a blessing to have the support of certified Christian teachers?

• Would you appreciate the support of a school community that understands the needs of parents schooling at home, and is committed to that support through the establishment of Resource Centre classes?

 RESPONSE

If your answer is YES, then you should enrol with an independent Christian DL school such as RCOA. With our Curriculum & Program Activities Budget you can receive the benefit of funding to completely pay for most, if not all your student’s learning needs, especially the fine Christian curriculum that is now available. For more details on what RCOA offers in the way of support to our enrolled students go to our main page and view the links under support. Whatever you decide the most important thing is to figure out what works best for your child. Many home educating parents have tried both options over the years. You may find that one approach that worked for you for a few years may now seem lacking, and you may wish to reassess. For example, some families that want the full freedom of Traditional Homeschooling in the younger grades find they want more guidance and accountability in the Highschool years. We are working on developing a special grade 9 program that will assist you with that transition. Other families over time discover that their child may have learning difficulties or even require a Special Needs program and feel they would be better supported within a DL framework. The most beautiful thing about teaching your children at home in BC is that you have so many options to choose from. If you want more information before making your final decision please contact us.

Comparison Chart