QENTAK RESEARCH
Numbers you can check, about how Canada learns.
Independent and home education are growing quietly and unevenly. We publish what the public data shows, where sources disagree and why, and the datasets so you can verify every chart.
The 2026 report
The State of Independent & Home Education in Canada
2026 Edition, First Annual Report. 20 minutes, seven chapters, ten provincial pages and the data behind every chart.
The five numbers to remember
- 8.0% to 8.5%of K-12 students attend an independent schoolStatistics Canada 8.0% (2024/25); Fraser Institute 8.5% (2023/24). Nearly one in twelve.
- +45%rise in the independent share since 2000/01From 5.9% to 8.5% (Fraser, 2023/24). A change in share; headcount rose 51%.
- 9.5%learn outside government-run schoolsIndependent plus registered home education, 2024/25, our recomputation of Statistics Canada data.
- 66,228registered home-educated studentsStatistics Canada, 2024/25. More than tripled (+264%) from 2006/07 to 2021/22.
- 80,000 to 100,000estimated children educated at homeAn estimate, not a count: no agency publishes one. Confidence: low (estimate).Estimate
| Figure | What it measures | Type | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0% to 8.5% | of K-12 students attend an independent school | share | Statistics Canada 8.0% (2024/25); Fraser Institute 8.5% (2023/24). Nearly one in twelve. |
| +45% | rise in the independent share since 2000/01 | share change | From 5.9% to 8.5% (Fraser, 2023/24). A change in share; headcount rose 51%. |
| 9.5% | learn outside government-run schools | share | Independent plus registered home education, 2024/25, our recomputation of Statistics Canada data. |
| 66,228 | registered home-educated students | count | Statistics Canada, 2024/25. More than tripled (+264%) from 2006/07 to 2021/22. |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | estimated children educated at home | estimate | An estimate, not a count: no agency publishes one. Confidence: low (estimate). |
Adapted from Statistics Canada, Table 37-10-0109-01, 2006/2007 to 2024/2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product. Fraser Institute figures are cited, not reproduced.
Cite this chart
Adapted from Statistics Canada, Table 37-10-0109-01, 2006/2007 to 2024/2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product. Fraser Institute figures are cited, not reproduced. Chart: "The five numbers to remember", Qentak Research, The State of Independent & Home Education in Canada, 2026 Edition. https://qentak.com/research#chart-stat-cards
Qentak's own text and charts are free to share with attribution. Statistics Canada data is used under the Open Licence; the full chapter on data, sources and terms is on the data page.
Explore Canada
Province by province
Ten provincial pages
Each page covers independent schools, funding, home-education rules, the school calendar and privacy context. Manitoba is the deepest, built on the ministry's own enrolment report.
- Ontario7.7% independent · 0.6% home-educatedNo operating funding
- Quebec11.8% independent · 0.7% home-educatedFunds independent schools
- British Columbia13.3% independent · 0.6% home-educatedFunds independent schools
- Alberta4.9% independent · 3.2% home-educatedFunds independent schools
- ManitobaIn depth7.7% independent · 2.4% home-educatedFunds independent schools
- Saskatchewan2.7% independent · 2.3% home-educatedFunds independent schools
- Nova Scotia3.4% independent · 1.3% home-educatedNo operating funding
- New Brunswick1.9% independent · 1.5% home-educatedNo operating funding
- Prince Edward Island2.4% independent · 1.3% home-educatedNo operating funding
- Newfoundland and Labrador1.4% independent · 0.5% home-educatedNo operating funding
Canada, 2024/25: 8.3% independent and 1.2% registered home-educated of 5,775,555 students on our recomputation of Statistics Canada data.
Built to be checked
Methodology
How figures were gathered, reconciled and labelled, and seven stated limitations.
Open data
CSV and JSON with checksums, plus the exact attribution strings to use.
Corrections
Found an error or a better source? Corrections are published with the date.