Education

Intro to the Education System in Canada

Education is one of the highest priorities for the Canadian government.

 

For the most part, children in Canada attend kindergarten for a year or two at the age of four or five by choice. School then becomes mandatory as of grade one, which tends to be at the age of six years old.

 

Depending on the province, schools go up to either grade 11 or 12, generally until the age of 16 years old. Children then have the choice whether or not to continue onto higher education in universities, colleges.

 

 

The Quality Of Education In Canada
  •       Canada is a highly developed country and offers one of the highest quality of education across the globe.
The Structure of the Canadian Education System

1. Pre-elementary

  • Primary education or elementary school is Canada is mandatory for children, starting in grade 1, generally at the ages of 6 or 7, and goes until grade 6 at the ages of 11 to 12 years old.

 

  • In Canada, students at this stage of education tend to have only one teacher that teaches them all subjects in the same classroom, with the same students. Special education classes are also available.

 

  • The pre-elementary curriculum covers subjects such as reading, math, English language (French in Quebec), history, science, music, social studies, physical education, and art. The difficulty of the courses increases as students advance in grades.

2. Primary

  • Primary education or elementary school is Canada is mandatory for children, starting in grade 1, generally at the ages of 6 or 7, and goes until grade 6 at the ages of 11 to 12 years old.

 

  • In Canada, students at this stage of education tend to have only one teacher that teaches them all subjects in the same classroom, with the same students. Special education classes are also available.

 

  • The pre-elementary curriculum covers subjects such as reading, math, English language (French in Quebec), history, science, music, social studies, physical education, and art. The difficulty of the courses increases as students advance in grades.

3. Secondary

  • Secondary education in Canada has two levels: junior high school and high school. Junior high school or intermediate education follows immediately after completion of elementary school. It’s a two-year stage of education that includes grades 7 and 8.

 

  • These two years give students the chance to adjust to the changes of switching classrooms and teachers throughout the day. The goal of this stage is to help students best prepare for their next step of education, with the difficulty of courses expected to increase greatly.

     

  • High school is the last part of secondary education that comes when students reach grade 8, and they stay in this stage for 4 years, until grade 11 or 12 (ages 16-18, depending on the student’s circumstances and province).

     

4. Post-Secondary Education

  • Upon graduating from high school, Canadian students are given the opportunity to apply to colleges and universities. College in Canada generally refers to a smaller community college or a specific trade school. Many students in Canada will attend college to further prepare themselves for university and obtain credits that can be transferred over.

 

  • University in Canada is a place for higher education where academic degrees can be obtained in a wide variety of subjects in a similar structure to that of the United States, starting with a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree, and finally a PhD as the highest level of education.

 

  • For public universities and colleges, they are mostly funded by provincial governments and the remainder is paid by minimal tuition fees, as well as research grants and partially from the federal government too.
Is Education in Canada Free?

Although there is not one single education system in Canada, basic   public education is in fact free for residents of Canada until the 11th or 12th grade, depending on the province. International students, however, do have to pay the full fees.

Many colleges and universities are heavily subsidized, allowing students of all backgrounds an equal chance at higher education. The Canadian government is working on taking this even further and opening up more opportunities to young hopefuls to attend university.

 
 
Age of Compulsory Education

 

The age of compulsory education varies from province to province in Canada. The youngest is five years old and goes up to seven years old (Manitoba) to legally have to attend school.

 

16 is generally the last year where students have to stay in school by law, however certain provinces require Canadian students to stay in school until the age of 18, such as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Manitoba.