Canada Facts And Figures
Canada- Facts And FiguresEducation in Canada
Education has two main goals: to give individuals the opportunity to develop
themselves, and to provide society with the skills it needs to evolve in its best
interests. Canada's educational system is based on finding a coordinated approach
to the pursuit of these sometimes conflicting goals. Comprehensive, diversified, and
available to everyone, the system reflects the Canadian belief in the importance of
education.
Education in Canada consists of 10 provincial and two territorial systems, including
public schools, "separate" (i.e., denominational) schools, and private schools.
Children are required by law to attend school from the age of 6 or 7 until they are
15 or 16. To make it possible to fulfil this obligation, all non-private education
through secondary (or "high") school is publicly funded. In Quebec, general and
vocational colleges (CEGEPs, or Colleges d'enseignement g�n�ral et professionnel)
are also publicly funded and require only a minimal registration fee. Most other
post-secondary schools, however, charge tuition fees.
A provincial responsibility
Unlike many other industrialized countries, Canada has no federal educational
system: the Constitution vested the exclusive responsibility for education in the
provinces. Each provincial system, while similar to the others, reflects its particular
region, history, and culture. The provincial departments of education--headed by an
elected minister--set standards, draw up curriculums, and give grants to educational
institutions.
Responsibility for the administration of elementary and secondary schools is
delegated to local elected school boards or commissions. The boards set budgets, hire
and negotiate with teachers, and shape school curriculums within provincial
guidelines.
A broad federal role
The federal government plays an indirect but vital role in education. It provides
financial support for post-secondary education, labour market training, and the
teaching of the two official languages--especially second-language training. In
addition, it is responsible for the education of Aboriginals, armed forces personnel
and their dependants, and inmates of federal penal institutions. Overall, the federal
government pays over one-fifth of Canada's yearly educational bill.
One important part of this contribution is the Canada Student Loans Program,
which assists students who do not have sufficient resources to pursue their studies.
The program provides loan guarantees and, in the case of full-time students, interest
subsidies to help meet the cost of studies at the post-secondary level. Provinces have
complementary programs of loans and bursaries.
Another federal initiative, scheduled to take effect in the year 2000, is Canada
Millennium Scholarships. Through an initial endowment of $2.5 billion, this
program will provide scholarships to more than 100,000 students each year over 10
years. This represents the largest single investment the federal government has ever
made in support of universal access to post-secondary education. Scholarships will
average $3,000 a year, and individuals can receive up to $15,000 over a maximum of
four academic years. These scholarships could halve the debt load that recipients
would otherwise face.
Elementary and secondary schools
About five million children now attend public schools in Canada In some provinces,
children can enter kindergarten at the age of four before starting the elementary
grades at age six. General and fundamental, the elementary curriculum emphasizes
the basic subjects of language, math, social studies, introductory arts and science.
In general, high school programs consist of two streams. The first prepares students
for university, the...
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