How to Make the Best Plans for Your Children’s Education in Canada

In this post, we give you information on how best to take care of your children’s education after you have moved to Canada.

Just how good is Canada’s education system?

Canada has an exceptional education system. According to a 2020 survey, Canada is viewed as having the third-best education system globally. An in-depth analysis conducted by Statistics Canada shows that Canadians spend 6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education, above the average spending for countries participating in the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

As is often the case, money spent on education seems to pay off. In Canada, 91 per cent of adults aged 25-64 hold at least a high-school diploma, with 68 per cent holding some sort of post-secondary educational credential. These figures are well above OECD averages, and demonstrate the importance of education in Canadian society.

This is not to say that education in Canada is perfect. Some schools have large class sizes, with a low ratio of teachers to students (although COVID-19 has impacted class sizes in some districts). Some schools offer less extracurricular programming, artistic studies, and sports than others. Some schools offer fewer course options and academic programs. For these reasons, it’s important to do some research in advance, because in the end, you will be the strongest advocate for your child’s successful education.

Big decisions: Either the place you live will dictate where your child goes to school, or where you want your child to go to school will dictate the place you choose to live. It’s your choice.

When it comes to your child’s education, the research you do before coming to Canada can make a huge impact on their experience.

Education in Canada is largely managed at the provincial/territorial level, meaning that the system in Ontario will differ from the system in British Columbia, and so on. Even inside a province, education can vary dramatically between different types of schools and different school districts.

Navigating your child’s educational opportunities is a bit like navigating the Canadian immigration system: there are a few crucial things you have to learn at the beginning, but as long as you take the time to educate yourself, you’ll be empowered to make the best choice when it comes to educating your child.

Understanding the Canadian education system

The Canadian education system can be divided into three stages: preschool or pre-kindergarten, elementary & secondary education (also called K-12), and post-secondary education. Although there are a few differences between the provinces, there are some distinct features for each of these stages.

Preschool, sometimes called pre-kindergarten, refers to an optional learning opportunity for young children, usually between the ages of three to five years old. The decision is yours as to whether or not you want to preschool your child. Preschool and other early childhood education services are available for free in some provinces, but in others (and for some private programs) parents may be required to pay.

Preschool is less rigorously structured than the mandatory stages of elementary and secondary school. This means that there are varied options for types of preschool, curriculums covered, schedules, costs, etc. You’ll have to research the options available in your intended destination and be sure to apply early, as the waitlist for some preschool programs can be long.

An alternative to preschooling is daycares. These are childcare centres where staff will supervise and care for children. Daycares often allow a wider age range of children to join in the fun, as they serve primarily to care for the children of working parents. While daycares are not explicitly educational, many daycares offer educational activities as a part of their services.

Deciding whether or not to enrol your child in preschool or daycare is your decision. While it is generally accepted that the first years of a child’s life are formative in the evolution of personality, social skills, and personal development, a preschool or daycare experience is not necessarily the only means of encouraging this kind of development. Many parents in Canada encourage the early childhood development of their children in less formal environments, like through activities at home and participation in neighbourhood playgroups.

Elementary and secondary education

In Canada, it is not just your moral responsibility as a parent to ensure that your child gets an education – it’s a legal requirement (strong education, strong society!). Elementary and secondary education are mandatory parts of a child’s education in Canada.

Elementary and secondary education follows a similar structure across Canada, with some slight provincial variations. Typically, this type of schooling starts at age five or six and begins with one year of kindergarten. This is followed by twelve “grades” of schooling, each lasting one year. After completing Grades 1-12, a child receives their high school diploma and may then be eligible for post-secondary education.

Provincial oddities:

• In Ontario, kindergarten is split into two years, Junior Kindergarten (for four-year-olds) and Senior Kindergarten (for five-year-olds). Neither of these is mandatory.
• In Quebec, the elementary and secondary school system is divided into six grades, followed by five “secondary levels” (Sec I-V), which only adds up to eleven years. However, following completion of Sec V, students are given the opportunity to attend CEGEP (Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel). CEGEPs act as a hybrid of high school and college/university learning, often offering a semi-specialized curriculum based on a student’s interests or career goals.
• In Nova Scotia, kindergarten is referred to as primary.

As elementary and secondary education are mandatory and play a major role in a child’s development, we’re going to focus on this topic a bit longer and answer some of the most common questions:

What types of schools are available in Canada?

In Canada, there are three main options for elementary and secondary schooling.

1. Public schools: These are publicly-funded schools available to students in every region across Canada. These schools are free for children to attend (funded through the same tax-payer system which funds healthcare and social services!). About 92 per cent of children in Canada attend a public school.
2. Private schools: These schools are owned by private entities and typically require parents to pay a tuition fee for their child’s enrolment. About seven per cent of children in Canada attend private schools. Tuition fees among private schools can vary significantly.
3. Homeschooling: This is an option whereby a parent chooses to keep their child at home and educate them independently. Homeschooling regulations differ between provinces, but parents can often find suggested curriculum and supporting material online. Less than one per cent of children in Canada are homeschooled.

Sidebar—Catholic & religious schools: Religious schools, mostly Catholic, exist across Canada in both the private and public systems. At these schools, Catholicism is often integrated into course curriculums. In Ontario, Catholic school boards receive provincial funding and are attended by a growing number of non-Catholic students. While many Catholic schools offer quality education, the integration of religion into learning may be something you want to consider or avoid, per your preference.

You may be wondering whether public or private school offers the best education for your child. Well, that depends on a number of factors:

Do you have income available to afford private tuition fees?

What kind of learning environment best suits your child?

Which private and public schooling options are available in the place you’re planning to live?

Studies show that students enrolled in private schools typically have a stronger academic performance than their public-school peers. But, researchers question whether this is due to the quality of private education, or whether it is due to the fact that private school attendees often come from families with more financial resources and parents with higher levels of education themselves.

Canada’s public school system is well-regarded around the world. However, you should research the public school options in the place you intend to live and ensure that there are educational offerings that suit the needs of your child. You can begin by looking into the website for the Department of Education for any of the provinces you’re considering to make your home in Canada.

How much does elementary and secondary school in Canada cost?

Elementary and secondary schooling in Canada is available for free through the public education system. Of course, you should expect some indirect costs for things like school supplies, lunches and snacks, clothing, and field trips.

If you choose to send your child to private school, you will have to pay tuition fees. These vary depending on the school you choose. As an example, let’s examine 2020 tuition fees for Grade 1-5 students at the prestigious Upper Canada College in Toronto. Each year, you can expect to pay CAD $34,135 in tuition fees as a day student and more than $60,000 if you’re a boarding student. This is at the higher end; other private schools may be more affordable.

If you’re being careful with your money, you may want to consider the affordability of the public school system. Attending a public school may even allow you to save ahead for your child’s college or university studies.

In which language(s) is education offered in Canada?

Schooling in Canada is offered in the country’s two official languages: English and French. English schools offer some French-language studies as a part of their curriculum and vice-versa for French schools. However, the quality of the second-language offerings varies from school to school.

If you want your child to be educated in both languages, you may want to consider finding an English school that offers a robust French immersion program (or vice versa), or sending your child to a French school in an English area. As well, some schools offer courses in other languages beyond English and French.

Notably, French schools exist across Canada, not just in the French-speaking province of Quebec. While there may not be a French school in every community, if you want to prioritize giving your child an education in French, you can likely find a school in your preferred province.

Do you need French to succeed in Canadian society? No. Many Canadians don’t have fluency in the French language, but having French abilities can be a big boost to a person’s employability, especially if they want to live in Quebec, New Brunswick, or work in certain fields, including many government jobs.

When does school take place each year in Canada?

Elementary and secondary schools in Canada typically start in late August or early September. The school year usually ends in late May or June.

The months of July and August are taken as summer vacation each year. Although, sometimes summer vacation starts in late June, with classes beginning again in late August.

On which days of the week does school operate in Canada?

Elementary and secondary schooling takes place five days a week from Monday to Friday, with the exception of statutory holidays and summer vacation.

How long is each school day in Canada?

The typical school day in Canada starts around 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. and lasts until about 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. This changes a bit from school to school, so it’s best to check with your school.

After classes are finished, most schools offer some form of extracurricular activities, including music, art, sports, debating, and other clubs and activities (some activities are paused during the COVID-19 pandemic).

At what ages is school mandatory in Canada?

Depending on the province, school is mandatory from the age of five or six, up to the age of 16 or 18. Most students in Canada graduate from high school at the age of 17 or 18.

What is the difference between “elementary,” “middle school,” “junior high,” and “high school” in Canada?

Warning: the terminology for stages of schooling in Canada is not standardized, so you can have differences all across the country.

In Canada, Grades K through 12 are typically divided up into different stages and different schools. So, your child might attend Kindergarten-Grade 5 at one school, then move to another school for Grades 6-9, then complete Grades 10-12 at a third school.

Typically, these stages are defined as:

• Elementary school: For the early grades.
• Middle school and/or junior high school: For the middle grades.
• High school: For the final years of secondary school.

There is no single rule for how grades and schools are organized. Even within a province, the structure will vary between school districts. Sometimes even within a school district there will be different structures.

To exemplify the variance, let’s talk about the town of Truro, Nova Scotia. If your child grows up on the south side of town, they might follow this schooling path:

• Grades K-5 at Cobequid Consolidated Elementary School
• Grades 6-9 at Central Colchester Junior High School
• Grades 10-12 at the Cobequid Educational Centre (High School)

Meanwhile, if your child grows up on the north side of town, they might follow an entirely separate path, up until they meet in high school:

• Grades K-4 at Bible Hill Elementary School
• Grades 5-7 at Redcliff Middle School
• Grades 8-9 at Bible Hill Junior High School
• Grades 10-12 at the Cobequid Educational Centre (High School)

As you can see, the structure of schools varies pretty widely in this example, and these are two students growing up in the same school district, in the same town! When it comes to planning your child’s educational pathway, don’t get too hung up on the terminology, and instead focus on the reputations, resources, and offerings of the schools you’re considering.

What subjects will my child learn in school in Canada?

Canadian provinces set the curriculum for their schools. These curriculums are constantly being evaluated and modified to adapt to changes in the world. Generally, your child will learn a range of subjects including math, science, English, French, history / social studies, art, and physical education.

As your child progresses through the education system, they’ll have more opportunities for choice in their classes, allowing them to pursue more courses in the subjects that interest them and that they excel at.

How to register your child for school in Canada

Hopefully you’ve already selected the school you want your child to attend. Now it’s time for enrolment. You need to contact the school board in order to find out the process for enrolling your child. It’s a good idea to contact the school to confirm enrolment even before you arrive in Canada, just to ensure you’ll be able to secure a place for your child.

Take note: In order to give your child the best chance of attending the preferred school, make sure you contact the school board as early as possible to understand the number of spaces available and the process for enrolling. Schools do not always have spaces available, so it’s best to act early!

If you’re enrolling your child in a Canadian school for the first time, the school board or school will likely do some kind of assessment to understand where your child is at and what level is appropriate for them. This type of assessment also allows schools to determine if your child may want to access any additional resources such as language training.

What supplies do you need to get for your child’s education?

After completing enrolment, your child’s school should give you a list of supplies you need to obtain. Sometimes certain supplies are available for purchase or provided by the school itself, but this should be made clear by the school administrators.

In addition to supplies for classroom learning, you’ll want to consider other important items for your child’s school experience:

• Clothing: Check to see if the school has a uniform policy or dress code that dictates what your child is allowed to wear.
• Athletic clothes: Physical education is a part of most elementary and secondary school curriculums in Canada. As such, your child will likely need proper attire for gym class, including socks, sneakers, athletic bottoms and tops, and undergarments. 
• Winter clothes: It’s never too early to start thinking about winter! During the cold months, you’ll want to ensure that your child has, at minimum, a warm winter jacket, boots, hat, and gloves. We recommend only getting these things once you arrive in Canada, because people who aren’t used to a Canadian winter might advise you incorrectly.
  • Living in Vancouver or the B.C. Lower Mainland? You *might* be able to get away with less intense winter attire than the rest of Canada.
• Backpack: Your kid will need a sturdy and reliable (and fashionable!) backpack for carrying around all their textbooks, pencil cases, and binders.
• Electronics: This may be part of a bigger conversation. But, will your child have a cell (mobile) phone? A tablet? Depending on how old your child is and your own views on electronic devices for children, this may be a conversation to have before school.

How will your child get to school in Canada?

School boards in Canada manage school bussing routes enabling students to get to and from school. But, if you’d prefer, you can also take your child to school yourself.

Once your child is old enough, they can also get to school on their own, by walking, bike, car, public transportation, or on one of Canada’s trained transport moose.

Okay, okay, fine. That part about the moose was a joke.

What will your child eat at school in Canada?

Typically, students in Canada eat lunch during the school day with breakfast and supper (dinner, or whatever you may call an evening meal!) occurring before they get to school and after they leave school.

You should ask administrators about your school’s lunch options. Public schools usually host a cafeteria with lunch available for purchase, while some private schools include lunches in the school fees. However, many students opt to bring lunch (so you can buy one of those cute little lunchboxes!). As well, when students get older, many opt to leave the school campus and go for lunch in the surrounding local community.

Some schools also offer breakfast programs, which are often free. These initiatives support families who might not otherwise be able to provide healthy breakfast options. If you’re looking for this type of support, ask the school.

How is your child graded and assessed throughout schooling?

You can understand your child’s progress in school in three big ways.

First, you can check in with your child about their progress and the marks they’re receiving on any homework, tests, and assignments throughout the year.

Second, your child will receive an official report card at predetermined points each year. This will allow you to see the official grades your child receives in each course, along with some feedback from teachers.

Finally, you can attend parent-teacher conferences throughout the school year. This will allow you to speak directly with your child’s teachers and discuss their academic progress and their participation in the classroom and in school life.

How to stay involved in your child’s education

There are many opportunities to get involved with your child’s education. Many schools have Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) where parents can volunteer their time to things like fundraising and event-planning. If you’re looking for a smaller commitment, you may be able to find opportunities to act as a chaperone on field trips or at school events.

If you really want to engage with your child’s schooling system, you can get involved in the school district or school board. School boards hold regular meetings where members of the community can attend and voice their opinions. You might even consider running for a seat on the school board, as positions are open to the public and new members are voted in by the community!

Credit: Moving2canada.com