Adult Education, Elementary and Secondary School...
Entitlement to domestic fees
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Somorogieva Posts: 1
Posted On: 2/28/2023
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Hello moderator , I am a work permit holder , closed work permit and arrived canada with my wife and 20 year old son . He was granted a study permit as a dependent son under my application . Because he is a little older than the typical grade 12 student and he was yet to obtain a high school certificate I tried to enroll him at an adult high school within the school Board where we lived . The adult high school is a non fee paying school generally . The school has defined my son as an international student and are requesting he must pay fees . Their argument is that he is above 18 and therefore section 49 (7) of the Ontario education act which makes a child of a work permit holder resident in Ontario and within the jurisdiction of the school board exempt from school fees . I have argued that he is a dependent child under my application , he is not married and he is under 22 and financially dependent on me as he does not work and he ought to qualify . My reading of the act tends to suggest a misapplication of the act by the school as they have gone ahead to introduce the age of maturity which is 18 in Ontario rather than the age of dependence as per the immigration Act . I will appreciate some clarity in regard to this and advise as to how to escalate this matter as the period for the commencement of classes has almost lapsed . I am suggesting he be allowed to commence class since he qualifies in every other respect , while we see clarification in regards to whether he should be subjected to fees . I have also suggested providing a guarantee to to pay the fees in the event the clarification is against my position .
Kindly advise
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Moderator Moderator Posts: 4075
Posted On: 4/30/2023
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Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. We appreciate your interest in this information.
According to this article on adult learning and obtaining a high school diploma in Ontario, this is the eligibility criteria:
You must be a resident of Ontario and one of the following:
- refugee claimant
- permanent resident
- Convention refugee
- Canadian citizen
Indigenous peoples living on reserve should contact their local school board or the Independent Learning Centre (ILC) for more information.
International visitors may be eligible to enroll in the program for a fee.
If you and your son do not meet this eligibility criterion, you may still find it helpful to connect with an employment counsellor or settlement agency to map a path forward regarding career and possible education/training opportunities. Settlement agencies providing employment services can help find free to low-cost opportunities for his professional development. To find the nearest settlement agency, call 211. 211 Ontario is a free, confidential service. Their phone service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Here is a link to their live chat if you prefer to communicate online. Their live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here.
We hope this information is helpful.
Sincerely,
Your Settlement.Org team
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