Education System in Canada

The education system in Canada constitutes both publicly-funded and private schools, including: community colleges/ technical institutes , career colleges, language schools, secondary schools, summer camps, universities and university colleges. In Canada for the most part the education is provided publicly, funded and overseen by federal, provincial, and local governments.

Primary Education

Education in Canada is both privately and publicly funded, and parents and children can choose the schools that they prefer. Young children often spend 1 – 2 years voluntarily in kindergarten. From age 6 they enrol for 6 years of compulsory primary school education.

Secondary Education

There is no distinction between middle and high school. Most Canadian youngsters complete their school education upto grade 12, where after they may proceed on to vocational or tertiary studies.

Vocational Education

Following secondary school, students with a practical take on life prefer to continue with vocational education. Offerings range from individual courses through to technician and artisan training that takes 2 to 3 years.

Tertiary Education

Post-secondary education in Canada is also the responsibility of the individual provinces and territories. Compared to other countries in the past, Canada has had the highest tertiary school enrollment as a percentage of their graduating population.

Canada is justifiably proud of its universities and colleges. There is no formal ranking system though, and choices are often based on geographic convenience and the reputation of a particular course.Student from all over the world come to Canada for their tertiary education, and Canadian degrees are recognized everywhere.

There are over 98 universities in Canada. As is common elsewhere, Canadian universities offer three levels of degree: bachelor’s (usually lasting four years), master’s (requiring an additional year or two) and doctorate (usually an additional three years).Canada also has around 150 colleges – also known as community colleges, technical colleges, regional colleges or CÉGEPs (in Québec) – which offer short courses and diplomas. In addition, the country has long history of specialized career colleges, which seek to prepare students for specific vocations. Government funded colleges in Canada offer programs under the Student Partnership Program (SPP) category, a partnership between the Canadian visa offices in India and Association of Canadian Community Colleges. This program allows Indian student to get student visa for Canada very quickly with minimal documentation.