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Fact: Homeschooling takes exactly the time required
There are no bells to signal how long until “class” is over. While homeschool families rarely spend seven hours per day with book-work or curricular studies, they happily report they are learning all the time. Lifelong learning is a fact of life and “homeschooling” prepares individuals by passing on a love of learning and an ability to learn “what they need, when they need it”. Homeschool parents take the time and make the effort to plan an education for their children that they consider to be not simply sufficient, satisfactory or adequate, but excellent.

Fact: An excellent education does not need to be expensive
According to a report by the Fraser Institute, Saskatchewan spent $15,314 per student in the public system in 2015-16 (MacLeod, Emes, 2019[1] ). In addition, according to an article in the Financial Post[2], private tutoring represents a $1 billion industry in Canada. Many parents engage tutoring services to provide supplemental instruction for their children who are otherwise enrolled in public and private schools.

Homeschool families rarely spend as much per student, even if a foregone second income is included. While many families spend $1,000 and more per child, an excellent education can also be provided for very little cost, using libraries, community centres, and co-ops. Of course, these expenses are in addition to the taxes paid to support government education. Parents who choose to homeschool consider the monetary cost to be worth the expense to obtain the social, emotional and academic benefits associated with home based education.

Fact: Home-based education facilitates healthy parent-child relationships
When children are freed from peer orientation, many of the behaviours that parents dread can be addressed with patience and consistency. Homeschool families tend to be involved in their community and engaged in various activities. Far from being “cooped up”, many families find it necessary to carve out time to stay home. Homeschool families can stop what they’re doing and take a break: they can stay in, play board games or watch a movie; they can go to the park or the library or the gym for a break from routine.

Fact: Homeschooled are properly socialized and able to interact with people of all ages
Homeschooled kids are able to shake hands, look you in the eye and hold a conversation. Parents are increasingly choosing home based education because they want to provide their children with guided, appropriate social experiences. According to research by Dr. Gordon Neufeld[3], children are more content, grow into mature adults and integrate into the broader society more successfully when parents are strong, loving role models who provide positive social interaction, compared with children whose primary orientation is with children who form their peer group.

Studies of adults who were homeschooled have demonstrated that they are more satisfied with life, more likely to be involved civically, volunteer more frequently and are more consistently engaged in a faith community [4][5]

Fact: Parents are perfectly suited to direct the education of their own children
Parents do not need to be experts in everything. Homeschooling does not mean that parents never use apprenticeship, outside tutors or mentorship to educate their children. Field trips, gymnastics, swimming lessons, homeschool co-ops, community classes, apprenticeships, mentorships, and other expert instruction are often available from within the homeschool community itself, or available through private companies, science centres, libraries, industry partnerships and myriad other arrangements.

Homeschool academic results are not influenced by the level of education, income, or certification of the parents. There is no statistical correlation between student academic achievement and whether or not parents have teacher certifications.[6]

Fact: Homeschoolers are eligible for admission to many post-secondary institutes
Homeschoolers generally have few issues with admissions. Despite mis-information to the contrary, high school credits are not required for admission into post-secondary programs. Some universities offer open admission, or accept parent-generated transcripts, applicable individual university courses, advanced placement enrollment, or SAT/ACT scores in lieu of accredited ministry of education transcripts.
For example: University of Regina: https://urconnected.uregina.ca/htmlemailupload/Image/Admissions/AdmissionProfileHBL.pdf

Fact: Homeschoolers achieve higher levels of education than the general public
Many homeschoolers participate actively in planning their home based education programs, in choosing and locating curricula and resources, in scheduling their own days, and in seeking learning opportunities. Far from limiting their children’s option for post-secondary, parents who choose to home educate seem to be equipping their children for post-secondary success. Adults who were homeschooled have a higher average level of education than the general population, and tend to have finished the course of study they began.[7]

Fact: Homeschoolers receive a complete high school education
Homeschoolers can complete their high school education without obtaining Ministry of Education high school credits. They can be employed, enter post-secondary, raise a family and contribute to society. Parent-generated transcripts, a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or Post-Secondary Completion are all alternatives to a standard 24-credit high-school diploma from the Ministry of Education. Homeschool completion is a valid and acceptable grade 12 equivalency, despite the refusal by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education to acknowledge the accomplishment.

Fact: Diversity of thought and personal liberty are historic common values in Canada
Families choose to homeschool for a variety of philosophical and religious reasons. Settlement in Canada was established on principles of personal liberty, when the British parliament granted French Canadian civil participation and self-government. While compulsory attendance laws were quickly used to curtail minority rights, religious and ethnic minority groups, including aboriginal peoples, have struggled to avoid assimilation. Saskatchewan is home to a wide diversity of people, with varied beliefs, and varied histories, which requires a commitment to uphold personal liberty for all. As a society that values diversity (“from many peoples, strength”), Saskatchewan should encourage educational choice so families may choose options that align with their values, beliefs and cultural or ethnic heritage.

Fact: Homeschoolers tend to extend civil liberties, even those with whom they disagree
While homeschooling does not necessarily lead to critical thought, the practice certainly coincides frequently. If our society is to embrace true toleration, we must insist upon civil liberty for all, regardless of whether we agree with the opinions of others. A particularly interesting study found that “Students with greater exposure to homeschooling tend to be more politically tolerant—a finding contrary to the claims of many political theorists”. In this study “politically tolerant” was defined as “the willingness to extend civil liberties to people who hold views with which one disagrees,” [8]. Such traits are to be desired in this divisive era.

In the history of the world, there has rarely been a society as open and free as ours. We must not be taken captive to pleasant-sounding ideologies that promise peace or security, but cost us our freedom. It is not tolerant to shut down discussion by smashing property, threatening violence against, or ostracizing those with whom one disagrees.