Canada is a confederation of ten provinces and three territories - a vast country stretching across North America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and north to the Arctic Ocean. In Canada, the provinces and territories are responsible for elementary, secondary and postsecondary education. Education in Canada is under the complete jurisdiction of the provinces and territories and as such, there is no federal education system in Canada. In keeping with the national commitment to education, public education in Canada is free up to and including secondary school in all the provinces. Education is a provincial responsibility under the Canadian constitution, which means there are significant differences between the education systems of the different provinces. However, education is important to Canadians, and standards across the country are uniformly high.
Canadian children attend
Kindergarten for one or two years at the age of four or five on a voluntary basis Grade one begins at about six years of age.
The school year normally runs from September through the following June but in some instances, January intake dates are possible.
Secondary schools go up to Grades 11 or 12, depending on the province. From there, students may attend university, college or Cégep studies. Cégep is a French acronym for College of General and Vocational Education, and is two years of general or three years of technical education between high school and university.
Public Secondary School (Public High School)
A secondary school funded by the provincial government run public organizations called boards of education or district school boards.
Private Secondary School (Private High School)
A secondary school funded through student tuition payments and run as a private organization which conforms to government guidelines and standards.
Undergraduate Schools
Undergraduate schools include universities, university colleges, colleges and career colleges. Degrees types granted by these schools include bachelor degrees, certificates and diplomas.
Graduate / Professional Schools
Graduate schools are publicly-funded schools that teach masters and doctorate (PhD) programs. Professional schools prepare people for careers such as doctors, dentists and lawyers.
Language Schools
In Canada, language schools specialize in teaching international students or newly arrived immigrants English or French as a second language. They may also prepare students for language proficiency tests. In most cases, language schools are privately funded schools though some publicly-funded colleges and universities run their own language schools.
Online / Distance
Online education programs can be taken over the Internet without having to travel to the physical school campus. Continuing education programs are offered by universities, university colleges and colleges to people who want to improve existing skills or develop new ones. Certificates may be handed out for completion of a continuing education program. Corporate training consists of short courses offered often by private companies to train employees of companies in new skills or to help develop new skills.
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