Part 1 — Access to Education
7 Compulsory education
(a) is a resident of Alberta and has a parent who is a residen t of
Canada,
(b) at September 1 in a year is 6 years of age or older, and
(c) subject to subsection (2), is younger than 16 years of age ,
shall attend school.
(2) Subsection (1)(c) does not apply to a person who is younger
than 16 years of age who has attained high school completion in
accordance with the requirements prescribed in an order of the
Minister under section 18.
(3) A board shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that a
student who is a resident student of the board or who is enrolled in
a school operated by the board attends school.
(4) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a student is excused from
attending school on a day on which the school is open if
(a) the student is unable to attend by reason of sickness or o ther
unavoidable cause,
(b) the day is recognized as a religious holiday by the religi ous
denomination to which the student belongs,
(c) the principal of the school has suspended the student from
school and the suspension is still in effect,
(d) the student has been expelled from a school and has not ye t
been enrolled in another education program, or
(e) the board or, if the student is enrolled in an independent
school or resides in unorganized territory, the Minister
(i) determines that the parent of the student has shown
sufficient cause as to why the student should not be
required to attend school, and
(ii) excuses the student from attending school for a
prescribed period of time.
(5) Where a student is excused from attendance at school under
subsection (4)(e), that student is excused from attendance at school
only during the period of time prescribed by the board or the
Minister, as the case may be.
2012 cE-0.3 s7;2019 c7 s6;2025 c6 s4