Private schools have been officially recognized in Alberta since 1946 and have received some form of public funding since 1967. In 2001, there are 192 private schools in the province. There are 176 active accredited schools and 16 active registered schools. Private schools are attended by approximately 25,000 students, or about 4%, of Alberta's 590,000 students. (As of June 2001)

Private School Enrolment for 2000/2001:
Early Childhood Services: 1,903
Grades 1-6: 11,791
Grades 7-9: 5,427
Grades 10-12: 5,812

Seventy per cent of private school students attend private religious schools (Hebrew, Mennonite, Muslim, Christian and others.) The other 30% are enrolled in programs that address specific learning perspectives such as academic or alternative programs including First Nations, Montessori, Waldorf, or programs aimed at special needs students.

Funding
Registered private schools receive no funding from Alberta Education. Accredited private schools receive approximately 60 per cent of the per student grant provided to public/separate schools in Alberta.

For the 2001/2002 school year the Basic Instruction Grants from the department will be as follows:

Grades 1-9: $2544/student/year
Grades 10-12: $72.69 per credit, in which a student is enrolled

A student who attends a Designated Special Education School receives equivalent funding as the public schools students, provided the student consulted with their resident school board prior to placement within the school.

Private School Funding Task Force
The Private School Task Force, which was created in 1998, recommended an increase in funding to private schools providing they met the new accountability requirements. The Government of Alberta implemented this recommendation to give Alberta's parents "Choice in the education of their children, while maintaining its commitment to a strong public education system."

Advisory Manual on Early Childhood Services For Incorporated Non-Profit Societies and Private Schools

Requirements for Special Education in Accredited-Funded Private Schools
This document describes requirements for providing educational programming to students with special needs in funded accredited private schools in Alberta.

Private School Reference Manual
Questions & Answers About Private Schools & ECS Operators