As a student in several universities, I want to share my firsthand experiences with the Canadian education system. Additionally, I will describe my daughter’s educational journey from childhood to the present, based on my understanding. I must admit that there may be some inaccuracies in my account, as I’m writing based on my knowledge.
The responsibility for the education system does not lie with the central government, but rather with each individual province. How can we create an education system that molds students into complete citizens, capable of becoming self-reliant and fulfilling various societal roles?
Briefly, in Canada, public schools are mandatory and free of charge. The provincial government (or territorial government) bears the costs. The federal government provides some funding to each province for education. Canada spends the most on public schools among the G7 countries. For private schools, the costs are borne by the parents.
In Canada, especially in the capital city of Ottawa, there’s a strong emphasis on bilingualism. Children as young as two and a half years old start socializing with others in nursery school. By the age of four in pre-kindergarten and five in kindergarten, the primary focus is on learning discipline through play. Once they enter first grade of elementary school, the curriculum shifts to learning English, numbers, and a daily French class. Elementary school goes up to sixth grade.
From seventh to twelfth grade, the subjects become progressively more challenging while still incorporating extracurricular activities like music, public speaking, science fairs, and sports. Parents have the option to enroll their children in French immersion programs from the very beginning, where all subjects are taught in French with a small amount of English instruction.
As adolescents transition into youth and adulthood, they undergo significant physical and mental changes, coinciding with the start of their high school preparations. They are introduced to a vast array of subjects like history, geography, computer science, and social studies. This period lays the foundation for their university education and future careers. In most provinces, high school serves as a stepping stone to university.
Students start contemplating their future during these years, making choices about their preferred fields of study. In Ontario, high school spans from grades 9 to 12, while most other provinces follow the 10th to 12th-grade structure. Quebec, on the other hand, concludes high school after grade 10, followed by a year of college preparation. The age for leaving high school varies across provinces. Ontario, Manitoba, and New Brunswick mandate school attendance until the age of 18, whereas other provinces have a minimum age of 16.
High school encourages students to take greater responsibility for their studies and fosters social growth through activities like dance, music, drama, sports, and various projects. Field trips, often led by teachers, are also part of the curriculum. My daughter, when she was in grade 8, went on a trip to Paris, her first international journey without us. The future is a joint preparation for parents and children.
Beyond Catholic and private schools, there are night schools for adults. Those who, for whatever reason, cannot attend school during the day can attend classes in the evening to learn their chosen subjects. This could be English, French, computers, mathematics, statistics, or any other subject. Usually, working professionals attend these schools, or those who have difficulty leaving their young children with someone during the day. Apart from all these, there is the option of home schooling. Parents can teach their children at home until the age of sixteen, according to the provincial curriculum, but special permission is required. Generally, classes in schools, colleges, and universities start in September and end in April, May, or June. There may be opportunities to study some subjects during the summer break. Those who want to advance in a particular subject or those who are lagging behind can take classes during the summer. ESL (English as a Second Language) is a class for those whose native language is not English. After completing high school, some people go to university to study a subject of their choice and earn a BA, BSc, MA, MSc, or PhD degree. Professions like doctors, engineers, and lawyers require many years of education. Others go to community college after high school to learn a trade – such as carpentry, dental hygiene, or restaurant work. Some people start working. Although there may be some differences, this is more or less the education system in all provinces and territories. In some territories, the education system in rural areas is not as good as in other areas. For example, there is a big difference between the twelfth grade in a city school and that in a rural school. Naturally, the lack of facilities is the reason. In Canada, ‘college’ generally refers to a community college or technical school. There, students can earn certificates or diplomas.
What is the cost of all this education? Parents do not have to pay anything directly for public schools. Everyone has to pay education tax along with income tax or city tax. My children don’t go to school, but I still have to pay. With this money, teachers’ salaries, books, books, etc., all expenses of school house, school bus etc. are borne. However, to educate a child in a private school can cost from four thousand to twenty thousand dollars a year. In private schools, the number of students is limited, so teachers can give more attention to each student. There are opportunities to learn more about special education and beyond. A lot of preparation for life lessons is done before adulthood. Boarding schools cost a lot more, maybe fifty thousand dollars. It includes food, accommodation, all such needs. Apart from this there are Catholic schools. Those schools can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year. Then there is the university. If you are a Canadian citizen, you may have to pay six thousand to eight thousand dollars. Coming from another province or another country may take more. Apart from university fees, accommodation and food expenses are on top of this. Students work as research- or teaching-assistants to professors to cover tuition and living expenses, as I did in my first year. But many can get scholarship as good students. I got scholarship for good results from second year. For good results, those who get scholarships have to spend less time (ten hours a week) taking classes or helping professors with research. Some universities have co-op programs. Students study for one term (usually four months), then work for one term. Jobs are applied for, then companies that want to hire students as apprentices select a few from among them. Interviews them, offers them jobs if preferred. My daughter studied electrical engineering at the University of Waterloo in a co-op program – she has worked for many companies as a co-op student, including one in Brazil. One disadvantage of studying this way is that it takes a year longer to get the degree. While other programs typically take four years to earn a degree, co-op programs take five years. But a special advantage is that having real work experience in the real world helps in getting a good job in a good company in the future. In this context, the cost of education in Canada is lower than in the UK, especially in universities.
Canadian universities are broadly classified into three types: 1) Research or research-oriented, 2) Primary universities that only offer undergraduate and lower certificates, and 3) Comprehensive universities. The University of Toronto, McGill, and the University of British Columbia are the first type. Mount Allison, Trent University are the second type, while the third type includes the University of Waterloo, Simon Fraser, etc., which offer undergraduate and graduate studies, research, and innovation opportunities. The University of Ottawa and Carleton University are also of the third type. University students earn undergraduate (BA or BSc), MA or MSc, or higher PhD degrees. Some stay on for a few more years after that, taking up post-graduate fellowships to do research work before entering their careers. An undergraduate degree takes four years, an MA or MSc takes another two or one and a half years, and the time taken to complete a PhD is uncertain and depends on the research topic. Law, medicine, and engineering often take longer. The University of Toronto, University of Montreal, Queen’s University, University of Waterloo, McGill, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary are all well-known universities.
Canada’s education system is recognized as one of the best in the world. One of the main reasons is that teachers, from nursery to high school, are carefully selected. They undergo special training. Special attention is given to students with learning disabilities. Similarly, there are special enrichment programs for students who excel. All educational institutions here have a combination of tutorials, lectures, and laboratory work. There is an emphasis on research, data analysis, presentations, discussions, and assignments. In other words, students are encouraged to use their own thinking skills. They are given the opportunity to question the printed word, suggesting that it might not always be correct.
What I’ve always liked about the Canadian education system is its emphasis on critical thinking and creativity rather than rote memorization. Throughout the year, students are assessed not just through a few major exams, but also through daily class participation. Their overall performance is determined by their learning progress throughout the year. In universities, students are encouraged to go beyond textbooks and explore subjects independently in the library. This kind of lifelong learning is invaluable.
