How does the school system work in Canada?

Answer 1

Education in Canada is a provincial responsibility and there are many variations between the provinces. Junior Kindergarten (or equivalent) as an official program exists in some, but not all, provinces. Kindergarten (or its equivalent) is available in every province, but provincial funding, and the number of hours provided varies widely. Starting at grade one, at about age six, there is universal publicly funded access up to grade twelve (or equivalent). Children are required to attend school until the age of sixteen. About one out of ten Canadians does not have a high school diploma and only one in seven have a university degree. (The adult population that is without a highschool diploma is a combination of both immigrant and canadian-born.) In many places, publicly-funded high school courses are offered to the adult population. The ratio of high school graduates versus non diploma-holders is changing rapidly, partly due to changes in the labour market that require people to have a high school diploma and, in many cases, a university degree.

Canada spends about 7% of its GDP on education. Since the adoption of section 23 of the Constitution Act, 1982, education in both English and French has been available in most places across Canada (if the population of children speaking the minority language justifies it).