QENTAK RESEARCH · 2026 EDITION
Newfoundland and Labrador: independent and home education, 2026 Edition
Newfoundland and Labrador has Canada's smallest independent-school share among the provinces and one of its smallest home-education populations. Its independent headcount has slipped slightly since 2019/20.
Snapshot
Newfoundland and Labrador: 2024/25 at a glance
912 independent students (1.4%); 294 registered home-educated (0.5%); no operating funding for independent schools.
| School year | Independent | Independent share | Home-educated | Home-education share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/07 | 834 | 1.11% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2007/08 | 825 | 1.13% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2008/09 | 852 | 1.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2009/10 | 735 | 1.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2010/11 | 870 | 1.25% | 75 | 0.11% |
| 2011/12 | 756 | 1.10% | 105 | 0.15% |
| 2012/13 | 708 | 1.04% | 126 | 0.18% |
| 2013/14 | 969 | 1.42% | 144 | 0.21% |
| 2014/15 | 957 | 1.40% | 126 | 0.18% |
| 2015/16 | 966 | 1.43% | 144 | 0.21% |
| 2016/17 | 1,005 | 1.49% | 141 | 0.21% |
| 2017/18 | 1,077 | 1.62% | 117 | 0.18% |
| 2018/19 | 1,005 | 1.53% | 147 | 0.22% |
| 2019/20 | 1,035 | 1.59% | 150 | 0.23% |
| 2020/21 | 987 | 1.53% | 543 | 0.84% |
| 2021/22 | 921 | 1.42% | 321 | 0.50% |
| 2022/23 | 891 | 1.37% | 306 | 0.47% |
| 2023/24 | 927 | 1.43% | 222 | 0.34% |
| 2024/25 | 912 | 1.40% | 294 | 0.45% |
- Independent share
- Registered home-education share
- Independent change since 2006/07+9%
- Fraser share, 2023/241.2%
- Outside public, 2024/251.9%
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. Our recomputation: shares are of public plus independent plus registered home-schooled students.
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. Our recomputation: shares are of public plus independent plus registered home-schooled students. Chart: "Newfoundland and Labrador: 2024/25 at a glance", Qentak Research, The State of Independent & Home Education in Canada, 2026 Edition. https://qentak.com/research/canada/newfoundland-and-labrador#chart-province-newfoundland-and-labrador-snapshot
Embed as an image
<figure> <img src="https://qentak.com/research/charts/province-newfoundland-and-labrador-snapshot.svg" alt="Line chart of Newfoundland and Labrador's independent share (solid) and registered home-education share (dotted) of K-12 students, 2006/07 to 2024/25." width="800" style="max-width:100%;height:auto"> <figcaption>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. Our recomputation: shares are of public plus independent plus registered home-schooled students. Chart by <a href="https://qentak.com/research/canada/newfoundland-and-labrador#chart-province-newfoundland-and-labrador-snapshot">Qentak Research</a>.</figcaption> </figure>
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.
At a glance
| Measure | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Independent students | 912 (1.4% of K-12) | Statistics Canada, 2024/25 |
| Independent share, Fraser measure | 1.2% in 2023/24 | Fraser Institute, 2026 Edition |
| Change in headcount since 2006/07 | +9% (834 to 912); down from 1,035 in 2019/20 | Statistics Canada |
| Registered home-educated | 294 (0.5%) in 2024/25; 150 in 2019/20 | Statistics Canada |
| Public spending per student | $14,190 (2022/23); down 11.2% in real terms since 2013/14 | Fraser Institute, 2025 Edition |
Independent schools and funding
Newfoundland and Labrador does not fund independent schools. Total public spending in the province fell 3.4% between 2014/15 and 2023/24 (Fraser Institute, 2026 spending edition), reflecting a shrinking public enrolment base. Both Statistics Canada (1,035 to 912) and Fraser (1.6% in 2019/20 to 1.2% in 2023/24) show the independent sector slipping slightly since 2019/20.
Home education
- Basis: Schools Act, 1997, sections 5 to 7.
- Approval: prior written approval of the school district's superintendent or director is needed. Approval is valid for up to one school year and is renewable. This is an approval regime, a stricter model than the notification regimes of the prairie provinces.
- Reporting and funding: we did not read reporting requirements; no funding found.
- Numbers: registered home education was 543 in 2020/21 and 294 in 2024/25.
School year
We could not retrieve a current provincial school calendar (the Department's calendar page was out of date), so we do not state a 2026/27 calendar.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 37-10-0109-01; Fraser Institute 2026 Edition, 2025 spending edition and 2026 spending release; Schools Act, 1997 (SNL 1997 c. S-12.2); provincial home-schooling guidance via school districts. Newfoundland and Labrador's privacy commissioner published a report on PowerSchool in May 2026 (P-2026-001), which we found but did not read. Not legal advice.