Responsibility for education is vested in the ten provinces and three territories. There is no national education ministry. Each province or territory has a Department or Ministry of Education, which is headed by an elected Minister and controls all aspects of its education system up to the end of secondary school (until around age 18). Such Ministries are responsible for setting standards, drawing up curricula and giving grants to educational institutions. At local level, education comes under the authority of school boards, whose responsibilities may include, amongst others, the appointment of school staff and the setting of dates for school terms and holidays.
Although responsibility for education is mainly a matter for the provinces (or territories), the Ministers of Education from each province have established a National Secretariat, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), to ensure communication on issues such as funding, programmes and student assessment. CMEC represents the education interests of the provinces and territories when working with the federal and overseas governments, national education organisations and international organisations.
Generally, publicly-funded education in Canada is co-educational and free up to and including post-compulsory upper secondary school (from ages 6 or 7 to around 18). The majority of students attend public schools (schools operated by school boards), which are funded through taxation revenue.
Private or independent schools provide an alternative to publicly-funded schools and may operate in any province or territory, provided that they meet the general standards prescribed by that jurisdiction for primary and secondary schools. Although, in most cases, they follow closely the curriculum and diploma requirements of the provincial Department or Ministry of Education, they are independent from the public system and charge fees.
The official languages of Canada are English and French. English is the primary language for approximately three-quarters of the population, with French the primary language for the remainder. In most provinces, the majority of students are taught in English. However, parents whose first language is French have the constitutional right to have their child educated in French, where numbers warrant. There are French minority groups in all parts of Canada, although most French speakers live in Quebec where they form a majority. Indeed in Quebec, French is the official language of instruction in primary and secondary education, although there are certain special cases in which students are allowed to pursue their studies in English.
Typically, compulsory education in Canada begins at age 6 or 7 (and lasts for about ten years). The minimum age for leaving school is either 15 or 16 depending on the jurisdiction, but most students continue until around age 18 (Year/Grade 12).
As an alternative to compulsory education provided in schools, most provinces and territories permit parents to educate their children at home. Parental accountability is ensured through a registration process.
The following table shows how the phases of compulsory education are usually organised in the provinces. Actual provision will vary according to individual province/ school board.
| Phase | Age range and level | Year of compulsory education |
| Primary education | 6/7 to 11/12/13 years | Elementary school in Canada covers the first six to eight years of compulsory education, Grades/Years 1-6/7/8, ages 6/7 to 11+/12+/13+. |
| Level 1 | Primary, 5/6 to 9 years, Grades/Years 1 to 3 (may also include the pre-compulsory Kindergarten class (ages 5 to 6) in primary school) | |
| Level 2 | Intermediate, 9 to 11 years, Grades/Years 4 to 6/7/8 | |
| Junior high school (compulsory lower secondary education) | 11/12/13 to 15/16 years | Grades/Years 6/7/8 to 9/10 |
In most provinces or territories, local authorities offer pre-compulsory education in ‘Kindergarten’ classes for 5-year-olds in publicly-funded elementary (primary) schools. One year of pre-compulsory education is usually provided, although two years may be provided in some areas. The provincial Ministries of Education have responsibility for determining the pre-compulsory curriculum; there is no standard national curriculum for this or any other phase of education.
The majority of students attend post-compulsory education, which is generally provided in senior high school. In most jurisdictions, this usually includes Grades 10 to 12 (students aged 16 to 18 or 17 to 19). In general, a broad range of both academic and vocational programmes is offered. During senior high school, the number of compulsory subjects is usually reduced, permitting students to spend more time on specialist programmes preparing them for the job market, or to take specific courses to help them satisfy the entrance requirements of the college or university of their choice.
Publicly-funded schools tend to accommodate students with special needs in a variety of different ways. In some cases, special needs students follow separate programmes of studies designed specifically to meet their needs. In others, they are integrated in mainstream classes and, wherever possible, follow the same programme of study as their peers.
The dates of school terms and holidays vary slightly from province to province and are usually set by local school boards (local education authorities). The school year normally runs from September to late June. Schools normally have a break of around two months in July and August, two weeks’ holiday at Christmas and one week’s holiday in February or March.
On average, students attend school from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday. The provincial Ministries of Education often set a minimum number of days of teaching which schools must provide, which range from around 180 to 200 teaching days each year.
Although the curricula for primary level education (ages 6/7 to 11/12/13 years) vary by province or territory, most include language arts/literacy (usually English, plus French in some provinces or territories), mathematics, social studies (usually includes history, geography, personal, social, health and civic education), general science/technology, the arts, and physical education.
At lower secondary level (ages 11/12/13 to 15/16 years), the curricula in most provinces include language arts (English/French), mathematics, arts education, health education, physical education, science and technology, and social studies. Information and communications technology (ICT) and careers are often also included. Foreign language provision varies and is usually optional.
It is of note that the four western Canadian provinces and three northern territories have established a protocol for collaboration in education from Kindergarten to Grade/Year 12 (ages 5 to 18/19). The Western and Northern Canadian Protocol includes the development of common curriculum frameworks and learning outcomes in certain curriculum areas. See the website at http://www.wcp.ca/ for further information.
Some school boards include religious education in the curriculum during compulsory education (ages 6/7 to 15/16 years). The parents of children in primary education (ages 6/7 to 11/12/13 years) have the right to request that their child does not participate in religious education.
Although there is no national curriculum, citizenship education is implicitly part of the core primary and secondary curriculum in all provinces and territories. Themes usually covered include human rights, diversity and inclusion, civic literacy and active participation.
Personal, social and health education is often included in primary curricula (ages 6/7 to 11/12/13 years) as part of social studies. Health and careers education are also frequently offered at lower secondary level (ages 11/12/13 to 15/16 years).
Textbooks are commercially produced and usually approved by the province or territory, which also usually provides a list of approved titles. The school board or school then selects texts for use in class. These are usually provided free of charge to students throughout primary and secondary education (ages 6/7 to around 18 years).
In most provinces or territories schools set, conduct and mark their own assessment tests and examinations. Many also have some form of provincial assessment system for certain year groups, where students are usually assessed in English or French and mathematics. Sometimes, science and social studies are also included. Such systems allow individual schools or school systems to be evaluated, as well as students.
Parents regularly receive reports of their children’s progress; the number of times reporting takes place each year varies according to province.
In addition, periodic national assessments are carried out. One of the main examples is the School Achievement Indicators Programme (SAIP) which was developed by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC). SAIP aims to provide data to assist provinces in policy making and curriculum improvement and tests 13- and 16-year-old students in mathematics, reading and writing, and science.
During primary and lower secondary education (ages 6/7 to 15/16), students may take compulsory assessments under the provincial assessment system, which in some cases coincide with the end of a particular phase of education. Results in these assessments do not usually affect progression to the next phase.
On completion of upper secondary education (around age 18), most provinces issue successful students with high school graduation certificates, which are based on course credits and sometimes also on examinations. These are usually prepared and set at local level, although in certain provinces graduation diploma examinations in certain subjects are set centrally by the provincial Department of Education. The type and level of diplomas awarded differ between jurisdictions, but most provinces provide for both high school and general diplomas in recognition of modified programmes followed by students who do not intend to enter university.
All teacher training is provided in higher education institutions. The requirements, organisation and content of initial teacher training programmes vary according to province. However, in general, the basic requirement to enter the teaching profession in most jurisdictions is four years of post-secondary education. Common training routes are ‘concurrent programmes’, where a programme of professional education is undertaken at the same time as a programme leading to an undergraduate degree, and ‘consecutive programmes’, where a programme of professional education is undertaken following successful completion of an undergraduate degree.