We at P.A.F.E. thought it would be useful for parents across Canada to have a source of information on independent schools for their children drawn from our large network of parents.

We know that P.A.F.E. parents are trying to avoid their children’s indoctrination into ideological views such as gender ideology or critical race theory at school, and it stands to reason that schooling options that are not fully funded by the Canadian provinces –such as independent schools and homeschooling– are a good place to start. 

To assist parents in researching individual independent schools in their province, P.A.F.E. has provided this NATIONAL listing of independent school associations. We hope that by reaching out to these ASSOCIATIONS to find out more details about their member schools, parents may locate the right scholastic fit for their children.

The listing below represents a variety of Canadian schooling options. The school associations represent privately funded schools as well as independent schools that receive some government funding, as long as they are not owned and operated by the Canadian provincial governments. Alberta's charter schools have not been included even though they are independently operated, because they are funded solely through provincial funding. 

Independent and private schools are preferred by some parents because they offer a range of educational benefits including higher academic standards and smaller class sizes. They also can provide students an immersion in cultural, religious or linguistic formation and can help connect students to a broader cultural/religious community.

Some of the reasons that parents choose individual independent schools include:

• overall mission of the school
• academic rigour
• language offerings
• curricular approach
• religious denomination 
• ethical framework 
• teaching style
• safety
• service opportunities
• sports teams
• extracurriculars
• single-sex or co-ed student body

Inclusion in our list does not equal an endorsement of the ideological “purity” of individual schools or groups. We encourage you, when making your inquiries with schools, to ask questions that will test their views on gender ideology and critical race theory, such as:

• do they have single-sex or unisex bathrooms?
• what kind of bathroom and changeroom access is provided for transgendered students?
• is gender fluidity taught at the school?
• do they have a pronoun policy at the school that requires teachers or students to routinely state their pronouns?
• what would the school do if a student came to them and notified them that they wished to gender transition?
• do they teach about white privilege at the school?

For a database of individual school profiles, you can consult Our Kids Media. Our Kids also hosts private school expos every September in cities across Canada. Visit their website for more information.

Legal disclaimer: Inclusion of any organization or resource on the P.A.F.E. site does not constitute endorsement by P.A.F.E.