Canada is widely regarded as a shining example of a modern nation full of opportunity and prosperity. The country has a strong focus on their education system and the performance of their schools which helps their efforts in maintaining this prominent status.
This article will serve as a guide to the education system to help those from overseas that might be interested in studying in Canada.
K-12 Grade School
Canadian provincial governments offer tuition-free schools, known as public schools, for children from the age of five all the way through to eighteen. In these schools, students commonly attend 13-grades separated by age and academic ability. The entry grade is pre-school, commonly referred to as Kindergarten. Next is grade 1, 2, continuing until the senior grade 12. The grade levels are commonly split into three categories known as elementary (kindergarten to around fifth grade), middle (sixth to around eighth grade) and finally high school (ninth to twelfth grade).
There are also many private school options in Canada. These range from schools dedicated to higher standards of learning or those who focus on a faith-based education. These schools must still comply with Canadian education standards but have more freedom in their selection of curriculum. Whether it be a private school in Toronto or a public school in Alberta, Canadian children receive an excellent standard of education.
Elementary School
The elementary years commonly span from Kindergarten to around sixth or seventh grade. Elementary school beginning and end times differ throughout Canada since each province determines their cutoff dates. Individual schools also have local civic boards determining their education process under provincial law.
The name “kindergarten” stems from the German language meaning “child garden” and these classes are commonly thought not to do much educationally and exist primarily to help young children acclimate and adapt to a group oriented learning environment. Activities in Kindergarten typically involve activities like singing, colouring, reading and limited writing.
As children age and grow academically, the early grades teach various general education topics such as reading, writing, math and social studies. Typically assignments are more creative in nature with projects and presentations rather than test and report assignments. Classes during elementary school have one main teacher that knows all subjects and students will progress to a new teacher once they move grade levels.
Middle School
Middle school, also known as junior high, was a recent school concept for most school districts in Canada. This added component in the education cycle is supposed to ease transitions from creativity-oriented styles of learning found in elementary schools to more detailed-oriented and challenging classes taken during high school. Middle school most commonly takes place during a child’s pre or early teenage years.
Middle school changes the teaching approach from elementary school by having students rotate classrooms. Instead of a main teacher being well-rounded in most subjects, students have multiple teachers that each specialise in a subject. The class subjects remain similar to that of elementary, just with more attention to detail and faster paces of learning. During middle school, assignments begin to progress from being creativity-based to lecture and test-oriented learning.
Secondary School
Secondary school, in Canada known as “High School,” starts the academically challenging phase of the K-12 journey and occurs during the later teen years. High school is commonly known as the dividing line between someone being a child and an adult.
Contrasting from middle school, high school focuses on specific topics. Rather than a generic class in “reading,” students can study literature, poetry, or theater. Lengths of assignments and intensity of testing are also increased during this phase of education.
To finish high school successfully, and thus the entire K-12 education, students take exams that are determined by their provincial education department. These exams vary in category and determine if students have reached the level determined by the government to successfully complete their general education. If students do not make a decent score on these exams it can hinder their efforts to be admitted into post secondary education. If a student fails to pass the exams, they may be required to redo their grade level or struggle to find a high paying job. Generally, final exams are known as a very stressful time in a teenagers life as they can determine the future of the student. Generally once exams are finished students will celebrate with parties, prom and graduation for those who successfully finish school.
Minority Rights
Certain provinces in Canada like Quebec have a strong French culture and identity. In the interest of protecting the growth of Canadian-French communities, Canada’s Constitution established the “Education Rights of Minority Languages.” If parents can prove children in their families belong to an English or French minority, they are granted the rights to learn topics in their native language. If there are enough native speakers within a community, the government is responsible for providing a school.
Special Interest Schools
Due to provincial governments in Canada being separated officially from religion, government schools are not allowed to endorse a specific religion. Any school which means to teach and focus on a primary religion must be run independently from the state. There is one notable exception for provinces such as Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, which publicly-fund catholic schools. This stems from the times in history when Catholic communities were small in size and persecuted across Canada. Today it’s common for non-Catholic families to enrol their children into Catholic schools due to the fact that their education and standards are viewed to be more prestigious than those of public schools. Public schools and Catholic schools primarily differ in that Catholic schools base most of their curriculum on religion or theological studies.
Canada is unique in that they offer public backed schools in French Immersion. This is a school that is located in a primarily English speaking area but teaches exclusively in French, the nation’s second official language. These schools are popular for parents who wish for their children to have more opportunities within the Canadian government or in areas that are French speaking, such as Quebec. Vice-versa in Quebec, where most speak French, schools that teach in English also are very popular. These schools are difficult to participate in as the provincial government has many laws discouraging their use in favour of focusing on maintaining the french culture of Quebec.
There is one more option of education in Canada which is independent study known as “home schooling.” This is where children most commonly will be taught by their parents individually and parents have ultimate control and responsibility over the course delivered. Students are still required to pass provincial exams to obtain their degrees but have more flexibility in their studies. Homeschooling is known to be more popular among families that are rural, have different religion practices or have libertarian or conservative political beliefs.
Canadian University Education
Upon graduation, some Canadian teenagers go to university or community college to pursue higher education. In Canada, a college is usually referring to a smaller local school that focuses on tech, trades or earning entry level university credits whereas Universities are larger institutions that grant degrees.
Universities in Canada, like other universities around the world, have degree programs in many different subjects, including sciences, medicine, justice, and humanities. Degrees are divided by three diploma levels: Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, and Doctorate or PHD Degree. Bachelor degrees are the most common sought after degree which generally take around four years of study to obtain. Master’s degree or doctorates add an additional two or more years and generally involve intense research to be performed known as a thesis. Those who wish to obtain a Masters or Doctorate degree have to reapply to the Graduate school of the university which is the most intense academic selection process.
In recent years, there are higher rates of Canadians attending post secondary education than in the history of Canadian education system. This is mostly due to the fact that many Canadian schools have expanded to allow more students while rising income levels and better student loan assistance have made higher education more obtainable. Many Canadian upper level careers now demand candidates to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in their designated field. Current estimates place around half of all Canadians over the age of eighteen in some degree category which is one of the highest levels in the world.
Elite Canadian Universities
While Canada may not be internationally recognised for their universities like that of Harvard or Yale, there are universities in each province that hold high recognition for academic excellence. There is a group of 10 universities that are considered to be the elite schools of Canada in both prestige and academics. These universities include: University of Waterloo, University Simon Fraser, University of Toronto, Dalhousie University, Universite de Montreal, Queen’s University, McGill University, McMaster University, University of British Columbia, and the University of Alberta.
It is comforting to know that in the Canadian education system, no matter where you go, whether it be one of the elite universities or a local community college there are options to accommodate everyone and the learning environment they need. This might be one of the reasons why they are recognised as one of the leaders in education.