Education in Canada - a good all-round standard but
what you pay or get depends upon which province you are in
Private universities and high tuition fees make Canada
an ideal location for the 'haves'
The education system in Canada splits into three major categories;
elementary, secondary and post secondary education. The administering of
educational programs in Canada is the duty of district school boards,
which operate under the provinces of the Ministry of Education.
Education in every Canadian province is compulsory for children below
the age of sixteen, except in areas such as New Brunswick and Ontario
where the age limit is eighteen. Some of the provinces may allow for
exemptions at the age of fourteen in very rare circumstances.
A complete school year has a total of one hundred and ninety days, which
begin from September and end in June. Some schools in Ontario close on
either the last Wednesday or Friday of June while schools usually open a
day after Labour Day celebrations. Educational responsibilities vary
from province to province. Federal Departments support different levels
of educational fields in Canada, thus ensuring the smooth running of
learning institutions in every province. The Department of Labour may
offer financial support for vocational training in some provinces in
Canada, thus contributing to the running of educational facilities.
Only Ontario has a program for the education of junior kindergarteners,
which the laws of Canada recognise. The funding and provision of weekly
hours towards this program varies from district to district. Public
funding programs are available for children between the first grade and
twelfth grade and the child should be between the ages of four and seven
when commencing. A very small percentage of Canadians have not graduated
form high school while one out of seven has a degree from a university.
The private universities uphold religious foundations such as Quest
University, which may become the first liberal arts university without
denominational association. Former liberal universities had
denominational association, which makes the Quest University to stand
out.
Provinces such as Alberta and Ontario allow for the operation of private
institutions while many of the other provinces are quite strict about
the private universities they allow to operate. Many Canadians polarize
the idea of letting private universities operate in the Canadian
educational market. Top universities in Canada have no competition with
the private universities due to the funding differences. Private
universities exclude people who cannot afford the high fees and this is
what makes public universities a preferred choice.
Almost all Quebec universities receive the highest amount of
financial support and they have the lowest tuition fees in Canada.
Universities in Atlantic Canada have the least funding, which translates
to high fees while some like Acadia University are entirely reliant on
raising their own funds. Such universities charge very high fees thus
enabling a few people to access private tuition in the education system
in Canada.
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