There is no general state education system on the territory of the country, each of the provinces draws up its curriculum but takes into account a single standard that sets fairly high requirements. The government allocates large amounts from the budget to finance all institutions of the educational system. Many professional associations in Canada monitor the quality of education and protect the interests of students and their parents. Training takes place in any of the country’s official languages - French or English.
As in many developed countries, the educational process in Canada can be divided into three main stages:
- preschool education
- secondary education
- higher education
Preschool education
State kindergartens do not exist in Canada. Their function is performed by specialized officially accredited organizations. The number of places in such institutions is limited by law, and the cost of education is partially compensated from the country’s budget. There are also a large number of private institutions involved in preschool education for children. There are practically no differences in the program and quality of education in private and public institutions.
But not all parents can afford to send their children to any of the kindergartens. An alternative, in this case, is preparatory “courses” at the school, which are absolutely free and last two years.
The early childhood education system in Canada requires children to start school at age three, and in some provinces at age four. In the first year of study, the main attention is paid to the adaptation of the child to the team, the ability to find contact with peers, listen to the teacher and fulfill his wishes.
Canadian preschool education is aimed at:
- developing literate speech;
- the formation of logical thinking;
- creative and physical development;
- improvement of mathematical abilities.
The teaching staff of private and public preschool organizations has the right to independently develop curricula and teaching methods. At the end of each semester of education in a preschool institution, a report is issued to parents, which records the progress of the child’s development, his successes or failures. Teachers report any problems and offer additional sessions with a speech therapist or consultations with a neurologist or psychologist. If the child has any learning difficulties, the teachers together with the parents try to find the source of the problem and provide possible help to overcome it.
Secondary education
The school system in Canada is one of the country’s assets. Each teacher has a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and schools can boast of excellent technical equipment in classrooms and sports grounds.
As in most countries, schooling in Canada lasts 12 years and takes place in three stages: primary school; secondary school; higher (senior) school. At each level, compulsory subjects and disciplines are studied, which children choose themselves. With the transition to senior classes, the list increases significantly.
The academic year is divided into 2 semesters, during which different blocks of subjects are studied. If the student’s program consists of 8 disciplines, then in the first half of the year 4 are passed, and in the second – the rest. That is, every day a set of the same subjects is taught, the duration of the lesson is 45 minutes.
Knowledge is assessed not in points, but percentages. At the end of the school year, the average score is calculated for all subjects. To proceed to the next course, you must score at least 50%. The control of the acquired knowledge during the semester is carried out by testing.
For motivated children who want to continue their education after school at the university, there is a more extensive program that includes 35 different disciplines. The level of its complexity corresponds to the first year of study at the university.
Higher education
According to the world ranking data, the higher education system in Canada ranks second after the American one in terms of the quality of education. Canadian higher education degrees are recognized worldwide. Many students who graduated from universities in Canada were subsequently nominated for the Nobel Prize and became famous scientists and politicians.
The higher education system in Canada includes three levels: undergraduate; magistracy; doctoral studies. You can get a bachelor’s degree in college, and a master’s or doctoral degree – only in universities.
In Canadian universities, special student programs are very popular, which provide for training and simultaneous internships at enterprises. A well-established student can be recruited immediately after graduation. There are slight differences in the programs of universities in different provinces. The language of instruction also depends on the geographical location of the university.