In Canada a national educational system does not exist and all school, university or communitarian school is the responsibility of each province. Therefore, the provinces are in charge to regulate their own educative systems through the ministries of education in their respective territories. These provincial ministries are coordinated with the advice of education (boards of education) or with the district scholastic advice (district school boards) who work directly with the schools. In spite of the differences that can be identified, according to the region in which we live, the certain thing is that all the provinces and territories subject to the same standards, which assures that the students independent of where they are, have access to an education of quality, either public or private. Both types of schools In Canada primary and secondary schools exist private and public, the reality is that the majority of Canadian students attend state schools or catholic schools that are free and are open to all.

The state or catholic schools which are attended depend generally on the zone or school district in their neighborhood. Therefore, if you live in the district “A” your children will have no problem going to the school located within this area. It is important nevertheless to verify the school zone because in some cases restrictions may exist; for example, if you live in a building or new district, certain schools can have admission limited due to the density of existing students, in which case children would be relocated in another school near their home. In the case of the private schools restrictions by zone do not exist and the decision is generally limited to the economic aspect.

Educative levels

Generally the early education initiates in the pre-school for children five years of age. This first level can include certain programs of child centers or `daycare’, junior kindergarten (in Ontario) and kindergarten, which is mandatory in the majority of the provinces. The primary education includes degrees 1 to the 6 (age six to 12 years) to continue with the secondary education or `high school’ that can be divided in `junior high’ (degrees 7 to the 9) and `senior high’ (degrees 10 to the 12). The secondary education system also varies according to the province. This explains the differences that exist in the types of program, curriculum and the system of evaluation. Some secondary ones divide to the school year in two semesters with different subjects and final examinations at the end of each one. Others can follow an annual system studying the same matters all the year to receive a final evaluation at the end of the cycle. Generally, the secondary ones are based on a system of credits where the students obtain certain points according to each course that conclude satisfactorily, in the case of the province of Ontario there are 30 credits the required, ones to complete the baccalaureate level and to obtain the OSSD (Ontario secondary School Diploma).

The curriculum of secondary education covers obligatory subjects but also allows the students having access to elective courses. The supply of courses obligatory, elective and the number of credits necessary to graduate vary according to the region. Regularly the students must finalize all the degrees of baccalaureate to be admitted in a university or college. In the case of the province of Quebec, who finish the secondary can enter the CEGEP, a formation system previous to university

Characteristics

• The majority of state schools do not belong to religious denomination some, except certain schools in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

• The scholastic year usually initiates at the end of August or beginning of September and concludes in June. New students can register throughout the year.

• In the communitarian universities and schools (community colleges) the courses initiate at the end of August or principles of September and conclude in April. According to the program, some schools of this level offer courses between January and April or in summer.

• Unlike the majority of schools of basic education, the communitarian universities, schools, colleges, institutes of languages or technical schools are not free and its cost varies by province.

Many parents and immigrants students, agree when affirming that the dynamics of education in Canada has major emphasis in the capacity of communication and analysis that in the memorization of information.

Registry of International students

School registration for some foreign students requires a customized evaluation to locate to the student, according to its knowledge and ability of communication, in the program that the school considers more appropriate.