In Canada, parents generally have the main responsibility for the education of their children. In order to assist them, territorial governments regulate and administer the different educational systems throughout the country. Since there is no national system of education and no federal department of education, each and every province in Canada has control on its own system of education. These systems are usually similar, with small changes between territories and provinces.

Education in Canada generally starts with kindergarten, to be followed by grades 1 to 12. Children must start going to school at the age of 5 by law, until they are 18 (16 in some provinces). The school year begins at the end of August and ends at the end of June and the school week has five days, from Monday to Friday.

Type of schooling in Canada

Between grade 6 and grade 8 (always depending on the territory) students go from primary school to secondary school. Those who successfully pass the latter teaching period will get their high school diploma.

It is the right of parents to choose the type of school for their children. In this regard, they may choose to send their kids to pay schools, private schools or free public schools. Also parents can generally choose between French and English school options, depending on the areas.
As for school boards -called school divisions, school districts or district education councils as well- they are responsible for managing the facilities, the students’ enrolment or the administration within schools belonging to the different local areas.

Enrolling in primary and secondary schools in Canada

To enrol children in elementary or secondary schooling parents must contact the local school board. These boards frequently manage several schools so there is a great chance for parents to be able to decide which school is the perfect fit for their children.
The final suggestion is to encourage parents to enrol their children sufficiently in advance, especially if this is the first time registering them in a Canadian school. The school board in this way will have the time required to correctly determine what level the children should be placed at or if they need support for their English language classes.