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Understanding The Canadian Education System

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: January 14, 2020

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By area, Canada is the second biggest country in the world, right after Russia. It’s a country filled with endless beauty that consists of 10 provinces and 3 territories, extending from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Pacific Ocean and into the Arctic Ocean. The education in Canada is excellent, and arguably among the world’s best with a well-funded and strong public education system.

Intro to the 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, colleges or Cegep.

Photo by  Daniel Joseph Petty  from  Pexels

The quality of education in canada.

Canada is a highly developed country and offers one of the highest quality of education across the globe.

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.

They are offered by either public, private or federal schools, depending on where you choose to send your child. In most areas, the first year of pre-elementary school is public and free, while certain provinces offer additional years free of charge, such as Quebec that offers free kindergarten for those from low-income families or for children with disabilities.

The teaching curriculum taught in pre-elementary in Canada is relaxed, and is a chance for young students to learn the alphabet, basic skills such as counting, pre-reading, music, art, and how to play with others. These programs are specially designed to prepare children for their next step: primary school!

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.

In Canada, students at this stage of education tend to have only one teacher that teaches them all subjects in the same classroom, with the same students. Special education classes are also available.

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).

Students are required by law to stay in school until the age of 16, regardless of what grade they are in when they reach that age.

In Ontario and New Brunswick, the law is that students must stay in school until 18 or until they have successfully earned a high school diploma. In Quebec, secondary education ends in grade 11, which is generally followed by a two-year pre-university program known as Cegep.

Canadian high schools have carefully and thoughtfully designed their curriculum in order to best prepare students for higher education. Some provinces even offer job training at the high school level.

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.

For public universities and colleges, they are mostly funded by provincial governments and the remainder is paid by minimal tuition fees, as well as research grants and partially from the federal government too.

Other Types Of Education in Canada

1. vocational schools.

On top of community colleges offering a vocational training, students are also given the opportunity to learn a trade or vocation at technical schools that are spread out throughout Canada. Years ago, such programs did not require students to hold a high school diploma, but things have changed greatly in recent years.

Vocational schools allow Canadian students to learn the specific trade they are interested in and gain real life experience under a professional and qualified supervisor.

2. Private Schools

Private schools are also available in Canada, which means that they are schools that are not funded by the government, and often come with hefty price tags. This is the choice of the parent and student to decide whether or not this is a worthwhile investment for them to make.

Some parents feel as though their children need smaller classes, more special attention, or would like to send them to a specific school for personal reasons. In Quebec, those that do not wish to study in French and can afford it will often opt for a private school.

3. Religious Schools

Those that wish to send their children to religious schools in Canada must send them to private institutions for the most part, other than certain Catholic schools. These schools teach both the regular school curriculum as well as religious teachings associated with the specific religion of the school.

Age of Compulsory Education

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.

Which Provinces Differ from the Standard System?

While in most Canadian provinces, the system is rather standard, Quebec does things slightly differently.

Rather than staying in high school until grade 12 like most places, students graduate high school in grade 11, and then continue on their studies at another higher institution known as Cegep. This 2-year program is intended to offer students a chance to test the waters when it comes to career choices , and have an easier transition into university.

What Languages are Classes Taught in Canada?

The two official languages of Canada are English and French. International students are given the choice to decide to study in either language, and many schools in Canada offer studies in both languages.

In most of Canada, English is the main language of school-level education, although French is seen heavily throughout. In the province of Quebec, however, students are required to attend school fully in French until they complete their high school studies, and only under certain special circumstances may a Canadian student study in English, for example those that are in Quebec for a temporary period of time.

In general, newcomers and immigrants to Quebec have to attend school in French and are only given the chance to study in English by attending a private school.

Migrant students

Canada has a large amount of migrants in its schools, with more than a third of young adults in Canada coming from immigrant families. And it’s been found that new immigrants tend to quickly integrate themselves and be just as successful as their native counterparts. Some believe that this incredible success is due to the equality and fairness for migrant students that is seen throughout schools in Canada.

Equal Opportunities

By giving all students equal opportunities to education, and treating everyone the same, Canada has proved to have little differences between its students — whether they come from more well-off local families or from minorities and immigrants that have more disadvantages.

While some people believe that high levels of immigration can potentially affect the success of students, when it comes to Canada, according to Prof Jerrim , immigrants may very well be key to its success. ‘‘These families have an immigrant ‘hunger’ to succeed, and their high expectations are likely to boost school results for their children’,” Jerrim explains.

Photo by  Ian Panelo  from  Pexels

Is education in canada free.

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 .

Health Care and Education in Canada

Unlike the U.S., Canada has a publicly funded health insurance system, financed through taxpayer money. Each province has a different plan and specific regulations, but for the most part, it ensures basic medical care for all Canadian citizens. Additional health procedures outside of the ordinary are paid by the patient themselves, while sometimes their employer will cover these costs.

Not only does Canada take care of its citizens when it comes to healthcare, but they also offer daycare and nurseries for those in need as well as endless public schools, free of charge.

The rest of the world could learn a thing or two from Canada’s top-notch education system and how they treat everyone equally, taking care of all of their citizens and ensuring that everyone gets the education that they deserve. Canada’s impressive success rate didn’t come from nowhere!

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone. Read More

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Transcript: How Canada’s education system works

Are you interested in studying in Canada, and want to know more about how our education system works?

Canada is known to have one of the best education systems in the world.

Each of Canada's 13 provinces and territories  runs their own school system and follows government standards to ensure high quality public education across the country.

School is mandatory from about the age of 6 years old to 18 years old.

After secondary school, students may choose between college and university.

Both education systems help students prepare for their futures.

Here's why a Canadian post-secondary education may be a great choice for your future.

At college, students can get hands-on, practical or technical skills training for a specific career.

You can study things like graphic design, web development, culinary arts, occupational health and more.

Colleges often work with employers in different industries to develop the latest curriculum. 

Depending on your college program, you might study anywhere from one to three years.

When you graduate, you'll receive a certificate or diploma. 

At university, students often study in-depth, theoretical subjects, like law, medicine, art history, engineering and much more.

Depending on your program, you might study anywhere from three to seven years.

When you graduate, you'll receive a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree.

In the province of Quebec, the education system is unique.

After secondary school, you can attend a collège d'enseignement général et professionnel , known as CÉGEP .

There, you may choose a three-year technical program to prepare you for a job in your field, or a two-year academic program to prepare you for continued studies at university.

No matter in which province you study, choosing between college and university depends on your interests and goals.

Consider this: Canadian colleges and universities offer flexibility.

If you study at one school and wish to transfer to another, you might receive academic credit for courses you've already completed. 

Several of Canada's universities appear on well-known university rankings lists.

Some Canadian college and university programs offer co-operative or work-integrated learning experiences where students alternate between studying in class and working in their field of study.

Some people even choose to attend both college and university.

Whatever your choice, Canada is a great place to study.

For more information about studying in Canada, visit  EduCanada.ca .

Council of Ministers of Education, Canada

Over 50 years of Pan-Canadian Leadership in Education

Some Facts about Canada's Population

Canada is the second largest country in the world — almost 10 million square kilometres or 3.8 million square miles – and composed of ten provinces and three territories.

• In 2016, the population was 35.1 million.
• There are three distinct groups of Indigenous peoples in Canada: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. In 2016, they represented nearly 5 per cent of the population, or over 1.6 million.
• The population density is only about 3.9 people per square kilometre.
• The population is not spread evenly over the territory; two out of three Canadians live within 100 kilometres of the southern border with the United States.
• Approximately 83 per cent of the population lives in urban centres.
• 47 per cent of the population lives in just six metropolitan areas.

Statistics Canada maintains a wealth of data on Canada’s population.

Responsibility for Education

Responsibility In the 10 provinces and 3 territories, departments or ministries of education are responsible for the organization, delivery, and assessment of education at the elementary and secondary levels, for technical and vocational education, and for postsecondary education. Some provinces and territories have separate departments or ministries: one having responsibility for elementary-secondary education and another for postsecondary education, adult learning, and skills training. As of June 2021, eight provinces and territories have placed early childhood learning and development under the umbrella of education.

Regional Differences While there are a great many similarities in the provincial and territorial education systems across Canada, there are also significant differences in curriculum, assessment, and accountability policies among provinces and territories that express the geography, history, language, culture, and corresponding specialized needs of the populations served. The comprehensive, diversified, and widely accessible nature of the education systems in Canada reflects the societal belief in the importance of education.

Educational Funding In 2018 –19, public and private expenditure on education amounted to $112.8 billion spent on all levels of education. Of this total:

• $78.5 billion was for elementary and secondary education
• $41.5 billion for postsecondary education

In 2017-18, combined public and private expenditure on education was $119.222 billion:

• $66.6 billion on elementary and secondary education
• $49.464 billion on postsecondary education ($18.780 billion on colleges and $30.684 billion on universities)

Structure of the Educational Systems

The following chart illustrates the structure of the educational system in each province and territory at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels.

Click on graphic to display full sized printable copy.  CICIC has a wealth of information about provincial and territorial education systems.

Elementary and Secondary Education

Government Role Public education is provided free to all Canadians who meet various age and residence requirements. Each province and territory has one or two departments/ministries responsible for education, headed by a minister who is almost always an elected member of the legislature and appointed to the position by the government leader of the province or territory. Deputy ministers, who belong to the civil service, are responsible for the operation of the departments. The ministries and departments define both the education services provided and the policy and legislative frameworks for education. They also provide educational, administrative, financial management to support school functions.

Local Governance Local governance of education is usually entrusted to school boards, school districts, school divisions, or district education councils. Their members are elected by public ballot. The power delegated to the local authorities is at the discretion of the provincial and territorial governments and generally consists of the operation and administration (including financial) of the group of schools within their board or division, curriculum implementation, responsibility for personnel, enrolment of students, and initiation of proposals for new construction or other major capital expenditures.

Schools and Enrolments As of 2020, there are approximately 14,600 public schools in Canada:

• 10,100 elementary schools
• 2,600 secondary schools
• 2,100 mixed elementary and secondary schools

In 2018–19, provinces and territories reported that there were almost 5.7 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools with an average of 390 students per school.

Minority-Language Education: In Canada, the constitution recognizes French and English as its two official languages, though over 215 languages were reported as being spoken by Canadians in 2016, of which more than 70 are Indigenous languages. According to the 2016 Census, more than 86 per cent of French-mother-tongue Canadians live in the province of Quebec: the minority language rights of French-speaking students living outside the province of Quebec and English-speaking students living in the province of Quebec are protected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter defines the conditions under which Canadians have the right to access publicly funded education in either minority language. Each province and territory has established French-language school boards to manage the French-first-language schools. In the province of Quebec, the same structure applies to education in English-first-language schools.

Funding Sources Public funding for education comes either directly from the provincial or territorial government or through a mix of provincial transfers and local taxes collected either by the local government or by the boards with taxing powers. Provincial and territorial regulations, revised yearly, provide the grant structure that sets the level of funding for each school board based on factors such as the number of students, special needs, and location.

Educators In 2019, Canada's elementary and secondary school systems employed 766,200 educators, most of whom had four or five years of postsecondary study. These educators are primarily teachers, but principals, vice-principals, and professional non-teaching staff such as consultants and counselors are also included. Most secondary school teachers have a subject specialization in the courses they teach.

Early Childhood or Pre-Elementary Education Every province and territory provides Kindergarten programs, whether full-day or half-day, mandatory or voluntary. Eight provinces and territories provide full-day Kindergarten for all five-year-olds. Kindergarten in Canada is considered part of the formal education system and has a dedicated curriculum in all 13 provinces and territories. While these programs are only compulsory in a few provinces, 97 per cent of children who are of eligible age attend Kindergarten in Canada.

Elementary Education The ages for compulsory schooling vary among provinces and territories, but most require attendance in school from age 6 to age 16. In some cases, compulsory schooling starts at 5, and in others it extends to age 18 or graduation from secondary school. In most provinces and territories, elementary schools cover six to eight years of schooling. Almost 98 per cent of elementary students go on to the secondary level.

Curriculum in Elementary Education The elementary school curriculum emphasizes the basic subjects of language, mathematics, social studies, science, health and physical education, and introductory arts; some provinces and territories include second-language learning. In many provinces and territories, increased attention is being paid to literacy, especially in the case of boys, as test results have shown that their performance is falling behind that of girls in language.

Secondary Education Secondary school covers the final four to six years of compulsory education. The secondary school graduation rate in 2017 –18 was 81 per cent, with 84 per cent of females and 77 per cent of males graduating. The overall graduation rate has been steadily increasing while the longer-term dropout rate has declined as older students complete their secondary education. In 2017–18, the dropout rate (defined as 25- to 64-year-olds without an upper-secondary education) had fallen to 8 per cent.

Curriculum in Secondary Education In the first years, students take mostly compulsory courses, with some options. The proportion of options increases in the later years so that students may take specialized courses to prepare for the job market or to meet the differing entrance requirements of postsecondary institutions. Secondary school diplomas are awarded to students who complete the requisite number of compulsory and optional courses. In most cases, vocational and academic programs are offered within the same secondary schools; in others, technical and vocational programs are offered in separate, dedicated vocational training centres. For students with an interest in a specific trade, programs varying in length from less than one year to three years are offered, many of them leading to diplomas and certificates.

Separate and Private Schools The legislation and practices concerning the establishment of separate educational systems and private educational institutions vary among provinces and territories. Some provinces provide for tax-supported separate school systems that include both elementary and secondary education. These separate school systems reflect the constitutionally protected right to religious education for Roman Catholics or Protestants, when either group is the religious minority in a community. Public and separate school systems that are publicly funded serve about 93 per cent of all students in Canada.

Postsecondary Education

Range of Institutions Postsecondary education is available in both government-supported and private institutions, which offer degrees, diplomas, certificates, and attestations depending on the nature of the institution and the length of the program. The postsecondary environment has evolved during the past few years, as universities are no longer the only degree-granting institutions in some provinces. A recognized postsecondary institution is a private or public institution that has been given full authority to grant degrees, diplomas, and other credentials by a public or private act of the provincial or territorial legislature or through a government-mandated quality assurance mechanism.

Number of Institutions Canada has 223 public and private universities, and 213 public colleges and institutes. Consult the Directory of Educational Institutions in Canada for a complete list of institutions.

Funding Statistics Canada has reported that postsecondary institution revenue in 2018–19 increased to $41.5 billion (in 2001 constant dollars):

• Government funding is the largest revenue source for postsecondary education institutions. 45.8 per cent of postsecondary funding comes from the government.
• Student fees accounted for 29.4 per cent of total postsecondary education revenue
• Bequests, donations, nongovernmental grants, sales of products and services, and investments brought in another 25 per cent

Tuition Fees In 2020-21, tuition costs averaged $6,580 for Canadian undergraduate programs, with international student fees averaging about $32,000 annually. Education is also funded through the money that governments transfer to individual students through loans, grants, and education tax credits.

Attendance and Graduation Trends Participation in postsecondary education has grown significantly in the past few years, whether measured by numbers of enrolments or by the proportion of the population in any given age group who are attending college or university. While women continue to make up the majority of students on both university and college campuses, they are still in the minority in the skilled trades.

University Attendance and Graduation

According to Universities Canada, in 2019, there were 1,090,000 full-time university students, as well as 266,000 part-time students. In 2018, Canadian universities awarded an estimated 197,830 bachelor's degrees, 65,706 master's degrees, and 7,923 doctoral degrees.

University Governance Publicly funded universities are largely autonomous; they set their own admissions standards and degree requirements and have considerable flexibility in the management of their financial affairs and program offerings. Government intervention is generally limited to funding, fee structures, and the introduction of new programs. Most Canadian universities have a two-tiered system of governance that includes a board of governors and a senate. Boards are generally charged with overall financial and policy concerns. Academic senates are responsible for programs, courses, admission requirements, qualifications for degrees, and academic planning. Their decisions are subject to board approval. Students are often represented on both bodies, as are alumni and representatives from the community at large.

University Activities The majority of degree-granting institutions in Canada focus on teaching and research. In 2014, Canadian universities performed $13 billion worth of research and development, which was about 40 per cent of the national total. Teaching is the other key function, whether at the small liberal arts universities that grant only undergraduate degrees or at the large, comprehensive institutions. Registration varies from about 2,000 students at some institutions to a full-time enrolment of over 62,000 at the University of Toronto, Canada's largest English-language university.

University Programs There are more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered in Canadian universities, as well as professional degree programs and certificates. Most institutions provide instruction in either English or French; others offer instruction in both official languages. In 2020, Canadian universities employed over 47,000 full-time faculty members.

University Degrees Universities and colleges focus on degree programs but may also offer some diplomas and certificates, often in professional designations. University degrees are offered at three consecutive levels:

• Students enter at the bachelor's level after having successfully completed secondary school or the two-year collèges d'enseignement général et professionnel (cégep) program in Quebec. Most universities also have special entrance requirements and paths for mature students. Bachelor's degrees normally require three or four years of full-time study, depending on the province and whether the program is general or specialized.
• A master's degree typically requires two years of study after the bachelor's degree.
• For a doctoral degree, three to five years of additional study and research plus a dissertation are the normal requirements.

The  Canadian Degree Qualifications Framework  outlines the degree levels in more detail. In regulated professions, such as medicine, law, education, and social work, an internship is generally required in order to obtain a licence to practise.

Attendance and Graduation at Colleges and Institutes Statistics Canada  has reported that, in 2018–19, college and institute enrolment was at an all-time high, with over 795,000 students enrolled. Just over 246,000 students graduated from Canadian colleges and institutes in 2017–18.

Governance in Colleges and Institutes In publicly-funded colleges and institutes, government involvement can extend to admissions policies, program approval, curricula, institutional planning, and working conditions. Most colleges have boards of governors appointed by the provincial or territorial government, with representation from the public, students, and instructors. Program planning incorporates input from business, industry, and labour representatives on college advisory committees.

College Activities There are thousands of public and private colleges and institutes in Canada. Of these, over 150 are recognized public colleges and institutes. These educational institutions may be called public colleges, specialized institutes, community colleges, institutes of technology, colleges of applied arts and technology, or cégeps. The private colleges are most often called career colleges.

College Programs Colleges and institutes offer a range of vocation-oriented programs in a wide variety of professional and technical fields, including business, health, applied arts, technology, and social services. Some of the institutions are specialized and provide training in a single field such as fisheries, arts, paramedical technology, and agriculture. Colleges also provide literacy and academic upgrading programs, pre-employment and pre-apprenticeship programs, and the in-class portions of registered apprenticeship programs. As well, many different workshops, short programs, and upgrades for skilled workers and professionals are made available.

College Credentials Diplomas are generally awarded for successful completion of two- and three-year college and institute programs, while certificate programs usually take up to one year. University degrees and applied degrees are offered in some colleges and institutes, and others provide university transfer programs. Les cégeps in Quebec offer a choice of two-year academic programs that are prerequisite for university study or three-year technical programs that prepare students for the labour market or for further postsecondary study.

Colleges in their Communities Colleges work very closely with business, industry, labour, and the public service sectors in the provision of professional development services and specialized programs and, on a wider basis, with their communities to design programs reflecting local needs.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition About 80 per cent of colleges also recognize prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) in at least some of their programs. Some universities also recognize it, and a growing number of provinces offer PLAR to adults at the secondary school level. PLAR is a process that helps adults demonstrate and gain recognition for learning they have acquired outside of formal education settings.

Vocational Education and Training

Public Providers Vocational education refers to a multi-year program or a series of courses providing specialized instruction in a skill or a trade intending to lead the student directly into a career or program based on that skill or trade. It is offered in secondary schools and at the postsecondary level in public colleges and institutes, private for-profit colleges, and in the workplace, through apprenticeship programs. At the secondary level, vocational programs may be offered at separate, specialized schools or as optional programs in schools offering both academic and vocational streams. The secondary school programs prepare the student for the workforce, a postsecondary program, or an apprenticeship. The role of public colleges has been described above.

Private Providers Private colleges may be licensed by provincial governments or may operate as unlicensed entities. They may receive some public funding but are largely funded through tuition fees and offer programs in such areas as business, health sciences, human services, applied arts, information technology, electronics, services, and trades. Programs usually require one or two years of study, although some private career colleges offer programs of shorter duration.

Apprenticeship Apprenticeship programs in Canada have been generally geared toward adults, with youth becoming increasingly involved in some provinces and territories. The related industry is responsible for practical training delivered in the workplace, and the educational institution provides the theoretical components. Apprenticeship registrations have shown a decrease in recent years, from over 455,000 in 2015, to almost 400,000 in 2019. The largest trade group is electricians, with over 68,000 registrations.

Adult Education and Skills Training

Many institutions, governments, and groups are involved in the delivery of adult education and skills training programs, with the providers varying among provinces and territories.

• Colleges offer adult education and skills training for the labour force; government departments responsible for literacy, skills training, second-language learning, and other adult programs may provide programs themselves or fund both formal and non-formal educational bodies to develop and deliver the programs.
• Some provinces and territories have established dedicated adult learning centres.
• Community-based, not-for-profit, and voluntary organizations, school boards, and some private companies, largely funded by the provincial, territorial, or federal governments, address literacy and other learning needs for all adults, with some of them focusing on specific groups such as rural populations, the Indigenous communities, immigrants, displaced workers, and those with low levels of literacy or education.
• The federal government works with the provincial and territorial governments to fund many of the skills training and English and French second-language programs.

The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), 2012, revealed that Canadians were among the most equipped with the new skills demanded in the 21 st  century, as they have high levels of proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments. In fact, Canada had one of the most skilled and educated labour forces in the OECD. However, several sub-groups of the population had disproportionately low levels of proficiency in the three domains assessed, most notably individuals who had not completed high school, immigrants, and Indigenous people.

Indigenous education

Indigenous Education at the Elementary and Secondary Levels The federal government shares responsibility with First Nations for the provision of education to children ordinarily residing on reserve and attending provincial, federal, or band-operated schools. In fiscal year 2016 to 2017, the Government of Canada invested $1.94 billion in First Nations elementary and secondary education programs. In April 2019, Indigenous Services Canada implemented a new co-developed approach to better meet the needs of First Nations students on reserve and improve outcomes. Band-operated schools located on reserves educate approximately 64 per cent of the students living on reserves, while 36 per cent go off reserve to schools under provincial authority, usually for secondary school. First Nations children living off reserve as well as Métis and Inuit children are educated in the public elementary and secondary schools in their cities, towns, and communities, with the provinces and territories providing the majority of educational services for Indigenous students.

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students pursuing a postsecondary education attend both government-supported and private institutions for a wide range of programs. Additionally, there are several Indigenous postsecondary institutions as well as Indigenous-led faculties within non-Indigenous establishments across Canada which offer specialized and culturally relevant programming ranging from trade skills training to doctorates. Indigenous postsecondary institutions play many roles in the postsecondary sector, notably in providing access to learners who might otherwise not participate in postsecondary education or training. Indigenous students have access to targeted financial support provided by the institutions they attend as well as by provincial and territorial postsecondary strategies. 

Between 2017 and 2019, Indigenous Services Canada conducted a comprehensive and collaborative review of all current federal programs that support Indigenous students who wish to pursue postsecondary education. Budget 2019 invested $814.9 million over 10 years and $61.8 million ongoing for distinctions-based Indigenous postsecondary education strategies. This funding will renew and expand the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (which provides financial support to eligible Status First Nations postsecondary students), establish new Inuit and Métis Nation postsecondary education strategies, and engage with First Nations to develop regional postsecondary strategies. The department also provides support to First Nations established postsecondary education institutions and First Nations-directed community-based programming through its Post-Secondary Partnerships Program.

Indigenous-languages education There are more than 70 Indigenous languages currently spoken in Canada across 12 language groups: Algonquian languages, Inuit languages, Athabaskan languages, Siouan languages, Salish languages, Tsimshian languages, Wakashan languages, Iroquoian languages, Michif, Tlingit, Kutenai and Haida. In 2016, an estimated 260,550 people were speaking their Indigenous language. Colonial policies have significantly harmed the vitality of Indigenous languages in Canada and several are now “endangered,” with few speakers, although a few others are considered “viable” in the long term. Six of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action are specific to language and culture. In response, provinces and territories have developed curriculum and teaching resources for Indigenous languages education. The province of Manitoba and the three territories of Nunavut, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories have also implemented legislation that formally recognize Indigenous languages in their respective regions.

At the Canada-level, the federal government is also engaged in supporting Indigenous languages. In 2019, the federal government passed the Indigenous Languages Act, which is intended to support the reclamation, revitalization, maintaining and strengthening of Indigenous languages in Canada. The act established the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, whose mandate notably includes supporting innovative projects and the use of new technologies in Indigenous language education and revitalization. Additionally, the federal government financially supports Indigenous languages education, for instance by providing funding to Indigenous organizations through its Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program.

Activities of the Government of Canada

The Federal Contribution The federal government of Canada provides financial support for postsecondary education and the teaching of the two official languages. In addition, the federal government is responsible for the education of Indigenous Canadians on reserve, personnel in the armed forces and the coast guard, and inmates in federal correctional facilities.

Federal Funding Support for Postsecondary Education In addition to providing revenue for universities and colleges through transfer payments, the federal government offers direct student support. These programs, and many similar ones offered by the provinces and territories, are designed to make postsecondary education more widely accessible and to reduce student debt:

• Every year, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation awards $350 million in bursaries and scholarships each year to about 100,000 students throughout Canada, providing income-based grants to postsecondary students.
• For parents, the Canada Education Savings Grant program supplements their savings for postsecondary education.

Official Languages Reflecting its history and culture, Canada adopted the Official Languages Act, first passed in 1969 and revised in 1988, which established both French and English as the official languages of Canada and provided for the support of English and French minority populations. According to the 2016 Census, 68.3 per cent of the population speak English only, 11.9 per cent speak French only, and 17.9 per cent speak both French and English. The French-speaking population is concentrated in Quebec, while each of the other provinces and territories has a French-speaking minority population; Quebec has an English-speaking minority population.

Language Education The federal government's official-language policy and funding programs include making contributions to two education-related components — minority-language education and second-language education. Through the Official Languages in Education Program, the federal government transfers funding for these activities to the provinces and territories based on bilateral and general agreements that respect areas of responsibility and the unique needs of each province and territory. The bilateral agreements related to these contributions are negotiated under a protocol worked out through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC). Three pan-Canadian federally funded programs ( Explore, Destination Clic, and Odyssey ), coordinated by CMEC, provide youth with opportunities for exchange and summer study to enhance their first language and second-language skills (more information available on the promotional site: www.EnglishFrench.ca ).

The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada

The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) was formed in 1967 by the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for education to provide a forum in which they could discuss matters of mutual interest, undertake educational initiatives cooperatively, and represent the interests of the provinces and territories with national educational organizations, the federal government, foreign governments, and international organizations. CMEC is a collective voice for education in Canada and, through CMEC, the provinces and territories work together on common objectives in a broad range of activities at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels. 

British Columbia

New brunswick, newfoundland & labrador, nova scotia, northwest territories, prince edward island, saskatchewan.

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Education in Canada

Article by Frank Peters , R.S. Patterson , N. Kach

Published Online February 7, 2006

Last Edited March 4, 2015

 Education is a basic activity of human association in any social group or community, regardless of size. It is a part of the regular interaction within a family, business or nation. The process whereby people gain knowledge, acquire understanding, master skills or internalize values is referred to as education. This same term is used to describe the outcomes of educational experiences. In other words, we may speak of education to refer to what school, television or recreational activity offer people or we may use the same term to indicate what the participants or viewers have received from their involvement in these educational experiences.

Significance of Instruction and Learning

In human societies the maintenance and enhancement of the knowledge, skills and values of the group depend on instruction and learning. Failure to share and to pass on its social heritage leads to the eventual extinction of the group. For example, at the level of the FAMILY , our most basic social group, unless the members of the unit find ways to identify, preserve, communicate and share the beliefs, traditions, values and essential characteristics of the group, in time, the cohesiveness of the family will be lost, individual members will not identify with the unit or the name and new relationships with different norms and interests will replace it.

People in all of the varying roles and responsibilities of society share and acquire information, skills, attitudes and values. Whether raising a family, earning a living, administering a large corporation or conversing with friends, education occurs and is received. In its broadest sense education includes the total range and variety of processes evident in a social group or community by which the social heredity of the unit is maintained.

The less knowledgeable and less experienced members of the group depend on educational experiences which will help them build on the established learning and practice of their predecessors. If this function were not performed, progress would be limited and slow. In more primitive or simple societies, the function of education is, relatively speaking, not as obvious: the more underdeveloped the social life of a group, the less complex its knowledge and traditions and the less demanding and essential is the task of sharing and acquiring its social heritage. In groups of limited sophistication, the less knowledgeable and less experienced members learn acceptable behaviour by imitating their elders, by obeying injunctions, by following suggestions and responding to prohibitions.

Distinctions Between Formal and Informal Education

As the complexity of the society increases and as the store of knowledge, traditions and values expands, the difference between those who possess the heritage and those who do not is more pronounced. Whereas in simple society no particular agency is charged with the responsibility of educating, in the more advanced social groups an institutionalized system emerges with specific agencies being charged with this responsibility. The emergence of schools, colleges and universities and other related institutions does not obviate the educational function of other social agencies. Instead it leads to the distinction between formal and informal education.

 Formal education is the effort to do systematically and explicitly by means of specialist roles and functions what formerly transpired in the casual intercourse of family and community living. The differentiated system of education known as schooling has been charged with ever-expanding duties and responsibilities. Initially the invention of letters that required specialist training for mastery and use gave rise to the role of teacher and the emergence of schools. Over time, this learning was not restricted to a privileged elite, but came to be regarded as the legitimate possession of all who had the ability to master it. Schooling has come to be regarded as a right of citizenship. An equally compelling reason for its growth and popularity is the belief that industrial and economic expansion depend on education. Leading industrial nations look to their schools to provide the training essential to continued economic and political prominence.

The Church and Socializing Agencies

The church, another social institution that once enjoyed a prominent role in the socializing of societal members, is also experiencing a diminished effect in the lives of Canadians. Until the mid-20th century, the 3 major churches in Canada - the Roman Catholic Church, the United Church of Canada and the Anglican Church - exerted significant influences on Canadian ethics and morals and provided obvious support to the maintenance of prevailing economic, social and political views. Membership and affiliation for many Canadians now is nominal in nature. Harmony of belief is less characteristic among Canadians, as the authority of churches and clerics has been challenged, as religious views are less popular in a more materialistic society and as new religions within the Christian tradition and from outside gain in prominence.

Tensions and conflicts accompanying marked demographic changes in society also contribute to the increasing pluralism of Canadian life and the related difficulty of identifying and providing common socializing experiences. When the majority of Canadians were rural dwellers, their communities were perceived to be relatively homogeneous, closely knit and supportive of similar ideals and values. There was greater compatibility of the educational efforts and goals of the various socializing agencies.

In recent decades, however, this feature of Canadian life diminished significantly. By 1996, only 21% of Canada's population was rural with increasing urbanization. Impersonal relations and anonymity challenged feelings of closeness and mutual support. New social agencies and roles emerged and traditional institutions such as schools and churches took on modified responsibilities in an attempt to cope with social change and an obviously growing divergence of perspective.

New Cultural Realities

Another significant contributor to the mounting diversity in beliefs, practices and values in Canada was the introduction of large numbers of immigrants into Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Particularly since 1901 the proportion of the population composed of ethno-religious groups other than the founding French and English elements has increased from approximately 12% to nearly 27%. The declaration in October 1971 of an official Canadian policy of "multiculturalism within a bilingual framework" gave recognition to a cultural reality. Pluralism was an acknowledged condition and latitude was extended to those who wished to preserve their unique ethnic and linguistic roots. One effect of growing pluralism in Canada has been to expect more of schools in building a common culture and to compensate for diminishing contributions of families, churches and communities.

The report of the Massey Commission also expressed concern over the effects of living in such close proximity to the US. The commission members recognized the importance of the mass media as a vital element of education, particularly as American popular culture became more pervasive within Canada ( see CULTURAL POLICY ). While the influence of the traditional socializing agencies has been waning in Canada, the power of the mass media has been increasing significantly.

Influence of Media

From their earliest years children are subject to the influence of the media. Television, especially, has become the purveyor of values, beliefs and knowledge. Time formerly spent in discussing, playing or reading is now more commonly associated with television viewing, as children are often left to watch unattended. It was estimated that in 1997 the average Canadian watches 22.7 hours of television per week and cable and satellite broadcast facilities afford viewers wide choice in program selection with extensive exposure to American programs. Recognizing the educative influence of TV, the Canadian Radio-Television Commission stated in 1986 that it was working to "safeguard, enrich and strengthen the cultural, political, social and economic fabric of Canada."

One effect of all forms of mass media is that peoples' perspectives are broadened. The result in countries where information access is valued and sustained is that the educational power of the media is pronounced, and leads to greater openness, pluralism and relativism. The media, in testing public attitudes, also serve to influence and to shape them. Among the media published sources, including books and newspapers, are important instruments of education ( see LITERACY ).

Film also contributes to the education of Canadians. The film viewing of Canadians is dominated by access to films produced in the US. Canadians by an Act of Parliament established the NATIONAL FILM BOARD in 1939, charging it with the mandate "to initiate and promote the production of films in the national interest." Produced in Canada's 2 official languages, the films of the NFB depict events that shaped history and show the diversity of Canadian concerns and achievement. The efforts of the NFB are recognition of the value of this medium as an educational agent in providing a common Canadian viewpoint. However, the rapid expansion and popularity of television is overshadowing that of film in Canada, as videotape production now exceeds that of film production.

As prominent and important as are the socializing agencies and informal educational means of the mass media in Canada, the formal educational system is recognized as being central to the experience of the large majority of Canadians. Within Canada, residents of all ages and circumstances have come to seek and gain access to schools, universities and colleges. Relatively early in Canada's history, attention was directed to making some provision for schooling.

Foundations of Present-Day Education

Realized human potential.

Three means or instruments for achieving this end were identified: common life experiences; various sources of popular culture and information such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines and books; and formal education in schools, colleges and universities. Development in each of these areas is essential to an understanding of education in Canada.

Common life experiences, according to the commission, were seen to be available through socializing agencies such as the family, the church, the government and the community. Traditionally, the family has been the most powerful of all educational institutions. Changing social conditions have had a noticeable effect on the influence of this agency within Canadian society. As an increasing number of married women are being employed outside the home, as the number of marriage dissolutions and single parents increases, and as nontraditional forms of marriage arrangements expand, the impact of the traditional family is lessened and other agencies such as the school are being expected to fill the educational void. Topics such as sex education, consumer spending and life skills are being turned over to the school along with extensive counselling responsibilities. As cohesion and solidarity of the contemporary Canadian family decline, so too does the effectiveness and influence of this educational agency.

The First Teachers in Canada

 Provision of schooling has not been easy or inexpensive for Canadians, in part because of the vastness of the country and the sparseness of the population. However, efforts have been made through the proliferation of one-room country schools which dotted the countryside even up to the outbreak of WWII and through novel arrangements such as railway and correspondence schools to extend schooling to as many children as possible. The importance assigned to education by Canadians over the years is evident in the financial commitment made for its provision. Canada tends to spend a higher proportion of its gross domestic product on education than other Western developed countries. In 1992 education expenditures represented 8.1% of Canada's gross domestic product.

 Formal education within Canada has been subject to and influenced by American developments. As progressive education and the ideas of American educators such as John Dewey, W.H. Kilpatrick and George Counts found acceptance in the US between WWI and WWII, these same practices and ideas attracted attention in Canada. School curricula and methods were altered in all provinces to give place to learning by doing, integration of subject areas, individualized learning and instruction of the whole child. While the popularity of the movement subsided in the post-WWII era, the impact of the reform carried on. Schools have come to provide for a wider range of students, to offer a highly diversified curriculum, to be less authoritarian and to be willing to assume responsibility for an ever-increasing number of duties and responsibilities, many of which have resulted from the declining effectiveness of other social agencies such as the family.

The formal education structure is also adapting to the rapidly changing technological environment. Curriculum changes are being made to ensure that graduates are equipped to function effectively in the technologically rich work situations which they will face. Computer technology is being used both as a means of delivering traditional courses in a more sophisticated and efficient manner, and as subject material in its own right ( see COMPUTER-ASSISTED LEARNING ). At the same time this technology and its ancillary support structures make it possible to deliver extremely advanced and developed programs to small numbers of students in widely separated locations, on an individual or small group basis. Distance education, by means of computers and their peripherals, are providing small, more remote schools with opportunities to offer enriched programs which formerly were only available to larger, more centralized schools ( see DISTANCE LEARNING ).

The Ideology of Choice

Schools in this country are also adapting to the changing public ideology which advocates, in many areas, choice as a basic right. Parents' rights to choose the school to which to send their child are creating an environment in which administrators are faced with marketing their institutions as never before. When allied with a system of funding which is linked directly with student numbers, the ideology of choice frequently compels schools to compete with one another for parental support and commitment. Governments argue that this competition will enhance accountability and improve the relevance of education ( see EDUCATION, ORGANIZATION ).

An emerging feature of our educational scenario which can be linked to the concept of parental choice is that of home schooling. Within the past decade the choice to home school their children has been made in Canada by an increasing number of parents ( see EDUCATION, ALTERNATIVE ). At present almost 1% of all school age children are home schooled. Most of these students are at the elementary level. Technological advances have made it possible for school systems to provide considerable support to parents and students involved with home education. Home schooling is in its infancy still and it remains to be seen how governments and school systems will adapt their established modes of operation to best assist this movement.

The value and importance of education in Canada is seen in the increasing numbers who are pursuing post-secondary learning experiences. Lower birthrates and lower immigration helped to account for the steady decline in elementary and secondary enrolment in the 1970s and early 1980s. In the mid-1980s enrolment increased as baby boomers began to have children. From 1971 to 1985, when elementary and secondary enrolment dropped 14%, full-time post-secondary numbers increased nearly 62%, and the growth continued for the next 9 years. Only in the past year has a slight decrease been noted in the enrolment in post-secondary institutions, though present enrolments are still more than 70% above the 1971 figures ( see EDUCATION, HIGHER ).

In 1998 full-time enrolment in post-secondary institutions exceeded 968 000, of whom over 573 000 (59%) were in universities. Full-time enrolments account for about 70% of all students in universities and about 72% in colleges. In the past 15 years part-time enrolment at universities had increased by over 90%, peaking in 1992 at just over 316 000. In the past years there has been a steady decline in all provinces in the number of students attending university on a part-time basis - the present figure is approximately 250 000. It is also worth noting that in the past 30 years there has been a steady and sustained growth in the number of women attending post-secondary institutions in Canada and that women now make up the majority of students in both universities and colleges ( see WOMEN AND EDUCATION ).

Traditionally, there have been social and economic reasons for acquiring higher educational standards. Higher-status occupations are generally awarded to people who hold college or university degrees. And on the economic side, better education appears to have raised labour earnings per worker by about 30% from 1911-61, according to one estimate ( see EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY ).

 Although the growth in provision of formal education reflects a continuing faith in the advantages of formal education, there is no longer an assurance that more education will result in employment or better-paying jobs. Many highly educated people are unemployed or underemployed, and some futurists predict that an increasing number of people will never be engaged in work as it was known in the 1980s. However, educational reforms and reviews undertaken across Canada continue to emphasize the need for schools to concentrate, more than they have in the recent past, on the preparation of students for useful work.

So inclusive has the mandate for schooling become that it is difficult to determine what themes or topics can or should be legitimately excluded. Relatively little attention seems to be paid to matters relating to ecology, world peace and imbalances in food, wealth and educational opportunity.

UNESCO has identified the following as some of the important global issues deserving attention through education: the grievous inequalities among nations and peoples; the risk of growing dehumanization affecting both privileged and oppressed alike; the need for people to understand the global consequences of individual behaviours, of conceiving priorities and sharing of the joint responsibility in determining the destiny of the human race; and the need to give strong support to democracy as the only way to avoid becoming enslaved to machines, and as the only condition compatible with the dignity of the human race. UNESCO recognized the lifelong nature of education as well as the fact that education occurs in many contexts within society. A multiplicity of out-of-school forms of learning must be used in providing instruction and education for pupils of all ages, adults included. However in that organized education provides systems of knowledge and methods which help and enable individuals to form their own personal interpretation of the tremendous information flow and to assimilate it in a useful way, it remains an essential element of society.

The direction of education for the future is captured in the following observation, also from the UNESCO publication Learning to Be : "if learning involves all of one's life, in the sense of both time-span and diversity, and all of society, including its social and economic as well as its educational resources, then we must go even further than the necessary overhaul of educational systems until we reach the stage of a learning society."

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Education in Canada: Types of schooling

Table of contents, understand the different types of canadian schooling.

There are 3 types of schooling in Canada

• primary (elementary)
• post-secondary

Primary (or elementary) school

Primary education is generally for kids 5 to 12 years old. This usually includes

• preschool (optional)
• kindergarten
• grade 1 to 6

Learn more about primary school

Secondary (or high) school

Secondary education is generally for kids 12 to 18 years old. This group usually includes Grades 7 to 12.

Learn more about Secondary school

Post-secondary

With the right educational credentials, anyone can apply to attend a post-secondary school.

Learn more about post-secondary school

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