Missing documentation from your Country of Origin? Immigration status unresolved?
For families who cannot produce appropriate documentation, children may still attend school. ALL children
living in Canada, aged 6-18 have the right to a publicly funded education, and may attend (publicly funded)
school, regardless of their own or their families’ access to documentation normally required upon registration
for school. Nor is their own immigration status or the immigration status of their parents grounds for denying
access to (publicly-funded) school.
This is clearly stated in the Education Act, the law that governs publicly funded schools in Ontario.
Canada has signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which means that Canada has
agreed to education available to all children aged 6-18, living in Canada.
The Ontario Ministry of Education states that the following documents are not required for student
registration in publicly-funded schools:
• proof of immigration status or application for legal immigration status
• work permit
• social insurance number
• Ontario Health Insurance Program (OHIP) coverage
• health documentation that is different from that required of all other children
• other documentation not required of other children seeking admission to school
Each school board may have a different way of managing the question of documentation. Some boards
have policies that clearly state that families are not asked for documents related to immigration status
when registering.
If you are unsure, or experiencing difficulty registering your children, please speak to your Settlement Worker,
or contact the (English- or French-language) school board in your area to learn more about their guidelines.
