AHEA Updates

Bill 15 passed second reading in the Legislature on June 9, 2020. The Bill is now 'In Committee Of The Whole' which means that the whole Legislature will discuss possible amendments, which could be considered. AHEA is satisfied with the wording of the Bill's support of home education, which reinforces the primacy of a parent's right to choose the education of their child, the acknowledgement of home education as an equal choice and makes possible the additional option of notification only, no funding because of the phrase, 'supervision, if any' being clarified. Home educators should support this Bill and reaching out to your politicians at this time to encourage them would be wise. You can find your MLAs on AHEA's new page "How to Contact YOUR Politicians."

AHEA has been working with the Minister's Office and Alberta Education throughout this process. More work is required as we move to the Home Education Regulations being amended by Minister LaGrange to flesh out Bill 15's intentions. This is a work in progress, and while there is much anticipation in wanting to know how the Regulations will read, please be patient while we await the actual wording.

AHEA's continued interaction with the government has allowed us to reinforce that when we have advocated for a Notification Only option, we did mean 'only,' not 'plus!' AHEA has never suggested that a parent submit a notification plan directly to the government. The discussion around the parent's responsibility for the education plan of the child is being worked on as I write this. If the Minister wishes to provide a distinct, new option, it must be different from what we already have access to, and Ontario provides an example. We feel that our position is clearly understood, and efforts to continue communicating are mutual. Your continued prayers are appreciated while we work.

You will be informed as soon as there is more formal news. It is no surprise that there is opposition to this from other groups. While we do not feel the need to respond directly, we do encourage our members to exercise caution in what they may read as it may not fully present the information you seek in a positive or appropriate context. We also encourage all members to be unified in the expansion of home education options, regardless of it being a choice that you would consider in your own family situation. As a community, standing together and supporting each other in strengthening home education in law, regulation and perception is a work that we share. Being wise in our words, patient while awaiting facts and persevering in the pursuit of our goals will make each AHEA member an asset.

Keep your eyes open for further updates, expected shortly, with exciting information on more changes to our funding guidelines and the standards of reimbursements. 

AHEA is very pleased to announce that the proposed Bill 15 Choice in Education Act, tabled today in the AB Legislature, will make significant steps in affirming parental choice. This work was the result of a platform mandate, as well as the processing of over 50,000 survey responses from Albertans. Home educators made significant efforts in responding and our voice, at 5.3% of the respondents, considering our volume, was noteworthy, showing that approx. 25% of home educators were active in this government survey of the community. This speaks to the active civil engagement that is so important to home educators.

Minister LaGrange has said, "If passed, the bill will amend the Education Act to affirm that parents, not politicians, have the right to choose the kind of education they feel is best for their children. It will strengthen Alberta's successful history of education choice, including public and separate schools, francophone schools, charter schools, independent (private) schools, home education and early childhood education."

Highlights of the changes significant to home education are as follows:

• It adds a statement from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (section 26.3) to the preamble of the Education Act that states, "Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children."
• It adds a statement to the preamble of the Education Act:
  WHEREAS the Government of Alberta recognizes: public schools, separate schools, francophone schools, private schools, charter schools, early childhood services programs, the provision of alternative programs, and home education programs as being valued and integral in providing choice in education to students and parents.
• It amends the Home Education Programs section of the Education Act (section 20) to allow for an unsupervised, notification-only, non-funded home education program.
  Annual notification of the intent to homeschool will be required as well as submission (not approval) of a home education plan/program that demonstrates sufficient opportunity to achieve, to an acceptable level, appropriate learning outcomes.
  
  

We are gratified to see the steps taken today will strengthen a parent's inherent ability to care for their child's best interests. It should also put to rest the validity of that interest being intertwined with their child's, and not at odds with it.

You may read the full Alberta News Release here.

Dear AHEA Supporter,

Today, May 5th, has been designated a special day by some, where people can show their support in their local communities, food banks, churches, non-profits, and businesses, who will be suffering due to the effects of Covid-19 on our lives.

AHEA is a non-profit organization and would love to have your support! 2020 is sure to be a challenging year for us as we have faced the loss of our annual convention, which has been a yearly event for over 35 years. Losing this will affect our ability to function over the next year, and we will be relying on donations as never before.

The work of your AHEA volunteer Board in defending and promoting home education interests to government and educating the public is a year-round job, and we work hard for you throughout. We depend on a small group of contractors to provide services that are irreplaceable, as well as the costs involved in running a society.

Would you please consider making a donation at https://www.aheaonline.com/donate? We exist to serve the needs of our members and the home education community, and cannot do it without your support. However, we know that this situation has left many with the loss of income, and other uncertainties, and only wish you to do what you can, if you can. Thank you, in advance, for considering AHEA in your giving this year.

Your AHEA Board

In light of the March 12, 2020 recommendations made by the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the Government of Alberta, AHEA has no choice but to follow caution and cancel our March 26-28, 2020 Convention at the Westerner in Red Deer, Alberta. We applaud the willingness of so many to encourage the Convention's continuation, but we care deeply about the well-being of our attendees and are following Provincial guidelines in order to make their safety our first priority. We are currently considering options to provide value to those who have already purchased admission to our Convention and will update everyone within the coming days. Those involved with putting on the Convention will be contacted directly by a Convention team member.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all navigate this unexpected and unfortunate situation.

The AHEA Board

 The convention team is working hard with great anticipation and excitement to finalize everything for the convention! We pray that it will be a blessing to you and your family.

We are pleased to announce that a few registration deadlines have been extended to March 14.

• Our enriching Children's Program. Register here!
• Hands-on Youth Labs. Register here!
  • First Aid
  • Photography
  • Speed Reading
  • Card Creation
  • (NOT Heart Dissection)

There is a new special College & Career event on Friday night! Help spread the word!!​ Designed to encourage the young adults and to give them an opportunity to make lasting friendships. They will also spend time in an intimate group setting with our keynote Daniel Craig, who has a great heart for young adults. Register here!

As usual, we are in great need of volunteers - about 150 at this point in time. Without them, we cannot run the convention. So if you can spare even a few hours of your time during the convention, it would be greatly appreciated! Register here!

See you soon!

AHEA Convention Team