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 or colleges.

The Structure of the

Canadian Education System
Although it varies from province to province, in general, Canadians
must attend school until the age of 16, and it is comprised of four
levels.

1. Pre-elementary
Pre-elementary or ‘kindergarten’ is the first stage of education in
Canada and are offered to children between the ages of four to five
before they start elementary school. In New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia, this is mandatory, while everywhere else it is optional.
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.

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
College and University

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.