- Began in the early 1990’s.
- Initial concept was that home educated students would attend school part of the time to benefit from equipment, instruction, and options that were not available at home.
- Created by school boards for two principle reasons:
- Some families wanted a half-way position that would allow them keep control over a portion of student’s learning without the full responsibility of it all (and desired more access to funding per student.)
- Some boards wanted an avenue to more directly influence the education of the students who were completely outside the system.
- Development of Virtual Online courses allows access to options while still in the home.
- Direct financial advantage to a board having students enrolled in blended program ( see funding information.)
- This leads to boards more actively pursuing families, by advertising monetary benefits.
- Majority of program is school-delivered, following the Alberta Program of Studies, therefore students are legally considered to be public school students (see % of program that must be delivered by an Alberta Certified Teacher in ‘Definition’.)
- Complete information often not ‘given to’ or ‘explained to’ families leads to many who do not make decisions based on all the facts.
- Alberta Education leaves it up to school boards to explain definition of options to families which does not happen.
- Cases of families in blended programs being charged with truancy by their own boards and required to attend hearings of the provincial attendance board.
- 2010, Misinformation continues to be prevalent throughout the home education community.