From Wiki
Although private schools do exist in Canada, the majority of children attend government-funded schools.
[edit] Public and Separate Schools
- There are two government-funded school systems in most of Canada:
- public schools (public means non-Catholic in most jurisdictions)
- separate schools (separate means Catholic in most jurisdictions)
- At least two provinces (Newfoundland & Labrador and Quebec) have abolished religiously separate government-funded schools.
- There is no obligation on Roman Catholics to send their children to Roman Catholic schools. The public schools are open to children of all faiths (and none).
[edit] School Allocation
- Most government-funded school boards assign children to schools according to the geographic locations in which the children live.
- If you want your child to attend a specific school, the most reliable way for you to ensure that your child can attend that school is to buy or rent a residence in that school's catchment area.
[edit] School Specialization
- Both public and separate school boards usually offer English schools and French Immersion schools.
- In Canada’s larger cities, school boards often provide schools for children with special interests – schools that concentrate on science, the fine arts, foreign languages, sports, etc. The provision of such schools varies tremendously across the country. If you are interested in alternative programs, you need to research the specific jurisdiction in which you’ll be living.
[edit] Children with Special Needs
- Canadian schools cater to varying degrees to children with special needs -- gifted students, learning disabled students, deaf students, etc. However, the extent of facilities varies from one jurisdiction to another. Typically cities have more specialized facilities than rural areas do.
- Although schools do endeavour to address special needs, you should be prepared to be very proactively involved with the school if your child has such needs. School districts usually have educational psychologists who run diagnostic tests on children who are suspected of having problems. However, the funding of such specialists and their services often lags behind demand. If you feel the investigation into your child's condition is not prompt enough, it will help your child if you are willing and able to pay for private testing.
[edit] Other Schooling Topics
For other topics related to schooling, please see the Wiki article entitled Canadian Schooling.
