kaz19

Now that I have a better idea of work for my OH and I am now looking into Schools and nurseries. I have a 5 year old and 2 year old, what are the schools and nuseries (probably should try to call it Kindergarten) like in the Alberta area. I think i read somewhere that immigrants get charged CAD$10,000 for a child to go to school, is this correct and what would an average cost for a child to go to Kindi be. Would we better to look into private schools - how much more expensive are these?

Thanks for any help

Judy in Calgary

In Alberta children of permanent residents, temporary work permit holders and study permit holders receive FREE education at public (state) schools. Free education starts with kindergarten, which children enter around the age of 5.

It's internatinal students (unaccompanied foreign minors) and visitors' children who have to pay $10,000/year for tuition.

If you'll be coming on a temporary work permit, you technically don't need a study permit for your 5-year old. However, experience on the forum has shown that some school board staff have a fuzzy understanding of the rules and refuse to enroll children of temporary work permit holders until those children have study permits. Either check with the relevant school board ahead of time or just take the precaution of getting a study permit for your 5-year old (if you'll be coming on a temporary work permit). If you are going to be permanent residents, the child will be entitled to free schooling, and you don't have to get any kind of permit or visa for the child.

Below kindergarten there is no public (meaning government-funded or state) schooling for children. There are private nursery schools, and attendance of them is optional. Typically nursery schools offer their services to 3 and 4-year-olds, and they usually operate three half-days a week. Edited to add that children do not need study permits to attend nursery school.

Private schools are relatively rare here, and most of them are expensive. In my opinion they are unnecessary, unless your child has a rare problem that would benefit from the extra attention that private schools can provide. Even then you have to check them out carefully. I looked up the Fraser Institute's School Report Cards, and was unpleasantly surprised to discover how poorly some private schools ranked. I particularly recall that there were a couple of private Christian schools that got poor academic ratings. Perhaps their agenda was to pump Christian doctrine into children rather than academic knowledge. Well, whatever. Who knows. My point is just that the word "private" does not in and of itself guarantee that a school is good. But, with that said, there are a few private schools that are excellent (if very expensive).

Anyway, the vast majority of people in Canada send their children to public (state) schools.

There are several articles about Canadian schooling in the Schooling section of the Wiki.

If you're coming to Alberta, the Calgary Schooling article will give you some idea about schooling in this province, although there may be some minor differences between the Calgary Board of Education and the school district in which your children will receive their schooling.

While you're at it, it would be useful for you to read all the articles in the Moving Logistics-Canada section of the Wiki.

Hope that helps.
x

kaz19

Thanks Judy, state school is where they would be going in the UK and it sounds like Canada has a good state school system. Now all I have to do is work out how to tell the grandparents our plans and set the plans in motion. Canada here we come .... hopefully.