From Wiki
British expats in Canada often report the following pros and cons of Canadian schooling compared with UK schooling:
[edit] Advantages of Canadian schooling
- Canadian schools generally are more relaxed.
- They aim to nurture well rounded individuals.
- Many parents report that their children are happier and less stressed at their Canadian schools than they were at their UK schools.
[edit] Disadvantages of Canadian schooling
- Canadian schools tend to have a more rigorous approach to education, with more emphasis on future career success and 'winning'. Achieving seems to be the name of the game when compared to the UK system, and students are expected to take more personal responsibility for their schoolwork/homework than they might otherwise have experienced before.
- The government-funded schools that most Canadian children attend do not offer extra-curricular activities after school hours.
- Sports activities are offered by community associations and similar organizations. They usually require a fair amount of input from parents.
- At a minimum, parents are expected to drive their children to and from practices and games (although the burden of this can be reduced by car pooling).
- There are opportunities for more involvement than mere driving, if you are so inclined, because coaches and other organizers are parent volunteers.
- When children live within walking distance of school (say within a mile or so), there is an expectation that they will go home for lunch, although most high schools have good cafeterias that enable students to purchase food. It is also quite common for children to bring a packed lunch with them.
- If there is no adult at home during lunch hour, you have to pay for a lunchtime supervision program.
- Such a program may or may not be available at your child’s school.
- Whether or not it’s available at school, there undoubtedly will be nearby daycare centres that will offer before and after school and lunchtime supervision.
[edit] Remedies for deficiencies
- The differences between the academic standards of the two countries are ironed out by the time a person completes a bachelor’s degree.
- If you are fairly confident that your child will remain in Canada all the way through university, his/her slotting into the Canadian school system should not work to his/her detriment in the long run, and if anything can be an advantage.
- If you are uncertain of your future plans and want to ensure that your child is “portable” (from an academic point of view), you should encourage him/her to enroll in the International Baccalaureate program.
- The IB program is offered in most of Canada’s cities, but generally is not available in smaller towns and rural areas.
- The entrance requirements of the London School of Economics may give you some idea of how the high school diploma of each Canadian province is viewed in the UK.
[edit] Other schooling topics
For other topics related to schooling, please see the Wiki article entitled Canadian Schooling.
