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.
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).
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.
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.