Education
Canada is widely coveted for its exceptional education and schooling system. It has been listed as the third-best education system globally as per a survey. The country offers free education to the residents up to primary and secondary levels.
Education in Canada is largely managed by their provinces and territories.
Segregation of Classes in Canada:
Elementary and secondary education is a total of 13 years and includes kindergarten and grades 1 to 12. After successful completion of grades 1-12, students are given their high school diploma and they become eligible for post-secondary education.
The grade structure that’s followed in most of the provinces and territories:
Pre-school or Kindergarten: It caters to 2 – 5 years old children. This non-mandatory education is free of cost in some of the provinces and chargeable in others. One can also opt for daycares as a suitable alternative for this kindergarten.
Elementary School: It includes grades 1 to 6 and teaches children who are between 6- 11 years of age. Elementary school is mandatory for students’ education and has a similar structure across the country with some slight provincial variation.
Junior High: It includes grades 7 to 9 and teaches students who are of 12 – 14 years of age.
Senior High: It includes grades 10 to 12 and teaches students who are of 15 – 18 years of age.
Types of School:
- Public schools: Available in every province/territory of Canada, these publicly-funded schools offer free education to children.
- Private schools: Owned by private entities, these schools require parents to pay a tuition fee for their child’s education.
- Homeschooling: With different provincial regulations, homeschooling is an option where parents educate their children at home as per the suggested curriculum and supporting material available online
Religion and Language
Though, all public schools are not religious-based establishments in Canada. However, some of the provinces such as Alberta, Ontario, amongst others have exceptions as some of their schools are with Catholic and Protestant publicly-funded district school boards. Likewise, in Quebec, students have to study in a French school till they complete high school, with some exceptions. In general, education is offered in two official languages: English and French.
Public School Selection and Registration
A child is most likely to study in a school nearer to their home. In case, parents want to send their kid to study in a school outside the school district, they may have to either rent/buy a house near the school or request the school district that the child attends school outside your area, if possible. For school registration, relevant documents are to be submitted, such as passport, child’s birth certificate, and more.
About School Hours
Beginning from the first week of September and lasting till the end of June, the school year in Canada entails ten months of education that’s further divided into periods or quarters (terms/semesters).
Elementary schools start from 8.30 AM to 3 or 3.30 PM. Whereas, the secondary schools, begin at 8.30 AM and ends at 2.30 PM. In public schools, classes are usually from Mondays to Fridays.
Examination and Grades
At the beginning of the student’s education, a record file is created and is continuously updated throughout the years until graduation from high school.
We at ImmigCanada are here to present the whole picture of Canada’s school education system and guide you through the same so that you can select the best for your child’s education.
