This is about the Education in Canada, its background and all. I hope this will be helpful to anyone who needs this. Don't forget to click "Follow", it would be my pleasure. Thank you. :)

1. BY: INALYN L. BERINDES

3. While a variety of theories have been postulated for the etymological origins of Canada, the
name is now accepted as coming from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word kanata, meaning "village" or
"settlement". In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to
direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to the village of Stadocona. Cartier later used the
word Canada to refer not only to that particular village, but to the entire area subject
to Donnacona (the chief at Stadacona); by 1545, European books and maps had begun referring to this
small region along the Saint Lawrence River as Canada.
Name: Canada
Capital: Ottawa
Largest city: Toronto
Official languges: English and French
Area: 9,984,670 km2 (2nd after Russia)
ETYMOLOGY

4. Canada stretches from the
Pacific Ocean on the west, to
the Atlantic Ocean on the east.
Northern Canada reaches into
the Arctic Circle, while
southern Canada stretches
below the northern points of
the U.S.A.
GEOGRAPHY

5. GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY
 Canada is a federation of ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick,
Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and
Saskatchewan) and three territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut).
 Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state.
 Canada is governed by its own House of Commons.
 The governor-general is officially the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, in reality the governor-
general acts only on the advice of the Canadian prime minister.
 Canada has the 10th (nominal) or 17th-largest (PPP) economy in the world (measured in US dollars at
market exchange rates), is one of the world's wealthiest nations, and is a member of the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) and Group of Seven (G7).
 The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system
of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions.

6. The first inhabitants of Canada were native Indian peoples, primarily the Inuit (Eskimo). The
Norse explorer Leif Eriksson probably reached the shores of Canada (Labrador or Nova Scotia) in
1000, but the history of the white man in the country actually began in 1497, when John Cabot, an
Italian in the service of Henry VII of England, reached Newfoundland or Nova Scotia. Canada was
taken for France in 1534 by Jacques Cartier.
The actual settlement of New France, as it was then called, began in 1604 at Port Royal in
what is now Nova Scotia; in 1608, Quebec was founded. France's colonization efforts were not very
successful, but French explorers by the end of the 17th century had penetrated beyond the Great Lakes
to the western prairies and south along the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the English
Hudson's Bay Company had been established in 1670. Because of the valuable fisheries and fur trade,
a conflict developed between the French and English; in 1713, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and Nova
Scotia (Acadia) were lost to England. During the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), England extended its
conquest, and the British general James Wolfe won his famous victory over Gen. Louis Montcalm
outside Quebec on Sept. 13, 1759. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 gave England control.
HISTORY

7.  Education in Canada is for the most part provided publicly, funded and overseen
by federal, provincial, and local governments.
 Education in Canada is generally divided into primary education, followed by secondary education
and post-secondary.
 Education is compulsory up to the age of 16 in every province in Canada, except for Manitoba,
Ontario and New Brunswick, where the compulsory age is 18, or as soon as a high school diploma has
been achieved.
 Canada generally has 190 (180 in Quebec) school days in the year, officially starting from September
(after Labour Day) to the end of June (usually the last Friday of the month, except in Quebec when it
is just before June 24 – the provincial holiday).
 The curriculum is designed to elicit development and quality of people’s cognition through the guiding
of accommodations of individuals to their natural environment and their changing social order.
EDUCATION IN CANADA

8.  There is no Canadian national standard in terms of education.
 The school year for elementary and high school consists of 178 to 200 days, depending
on jurisdiction, but several days may be deducted from this total for professional
development and administrative duties, resulting in approximately 187 teaching days per
year for most jurisdictions.
Elementary students receive approximately 950 hours of instruction and secondary
students receive approximately 1000 hours per year.
In English Canada, high schools run on a two-semester arrangement, A.K.A.: fall and
spring semester.
- The first semester starting from the day after Labour Day in September to mid-
January and the second running from early February until the Thursday before the
last Friday in June.
ACADEMIC YEAR

9.  Some schools in Canada run on a trimester system, the first running from September to
January, the second from January to March or April, and the third from March or April
until June.
- The trimester is more common in elementary and middle schools (Kindergarten –
Grade 8) than in high schools (Grade 9 - Grade 12).
 In Quebec, education is given in French.
 Quebec and Franco – Ontarian elementary and secondary schools will arrange timetables
to ensure the school year ends before June 24, date of the St. John the Baptist, a traditional
holiday.
 Most universities and colleges usually run from early September until the end of April or
early May. Often, this winter session is split into two terms running September to December
and January to April.
Various forms of summer studies may be offered May to August.

10.  The main languages are English and French and these are official languages at Federal
level making it a bilingual nation.
 French is standard in the province of Quebec and, along with English, in New Brunswick.
 The official language not used as the primary medium of instruction is taught as a
mandatory subject in primary school and becomes optional for most secondary school
students.
 Parents can enquire about English as Second Language (ESL) and French as Second
Language (FSL) classes. The ESL/FSL class are taught an easier curriculum and some
students may not benefit from this.
LANGUAGE OF INTRUCTION

11. Education across Canada is generally divided into four stages:
 Pre-school or early childhood education
 Primary or elementary education
 Secondary education
 Post-secondary or tertiary education,
which includes college and university programs and vocational/technical schooling.
Primary Education
 Education in Canada is both privately and publicly funded.
 Young children often spend 1 - 2 years voluntarily in kindergarten.
 From age 6 they enroll for 6 years of compulsory primary school education.
BASIC EDUCATION TO HIGHER EDUCATION

12. Secondary Education
 There is no distinction between middle and high school.
 Canadian youngsters complete their school education through to grade 12, where after
they may proceed on to vocational or tertiary studies.
 Canadian academic year runs from September through to June, although in some cases
January admissions are allowed.
Vocational Education
 Students prefer to continue with vocational education after secondary.
 Offerings range from individual courses through to technician and artisan training that
takes 2 to 3 years.
Tertiary Education
 Canada is justifiably proud of its universities and colleges.
No formal ranking system
Choices are often based on geographic convenience and the reputation of a particular
course.

13. Most education programs in Canada begin in
kindergarten (age five) or grade one (age six) and then go to
grade twelve (age 17 or 18), except in Quebec, where students
finish a year earlier. After completion of a secondary school
diploma, students may go on to post-secondary studies.
LENGTH OF STUDY

14. Canadian Schooling Level Canadian Grade Child’s age (in the year they turn x)
Ontario only Junior Kindergarten 4 years old
All provinces except PEI
Kindergarten
(Primary in Nova Scotia)
5 years old
First compulsory year of
Elementary School
Grade 1 6 years old
Grade 2 7 years old
Grade 3 8 years old
Grade 4 9 years old
Grade 5 10 years old
Grade 6 11 years old
Junior High School Grade 7 12 years old
Grade 8 13 years old
Grade 9 14 years old
Senior High School Grade 10 15 years old
Grade 11 16 years old
Grade 12 Diploma 17 years old
University First year university 18 years old
AGE OF STUDY

15. Pre-school Education
 Pre-school education embraces all formal and informal education before the age of five
(when compulsory schooling starts).
 It includes tots and toddler programs, play school, nursery school and kindergarten.
Elementary School
 Elementary schools provide instruction in the fundamental skills of reading, writing and
math, as well as history, geography, crafts, music, science, art, and physical education
(phys ed. or gym).
 French and ‘foreign’ languages, which used to be taught only at high schools, are now
introduced during the last few years of elementary school in some areas.
SUBJECTS BEING TAUGHT

16. Secondary School
 Secondary schools may specialize in academic or vocational streams or the arts.
 It includes English (French), math’s, general science, health, sport (physical education)
and social studies or social sciences.
Students can choose optional subjects (electives) that will benefit them in the future.
Vocational Program
The vocational program may provide training in four fields:
 Agricultural education which prepares students for farm management and operation
 Business education which trains students for the commercial field
 Home economics which prepare students for home management, child care and care of
the sick
 Trade and industrial education which provides training for jobs in mechanical,
manufacturing, building and other trades.
 Students interested in entering business from high school may take typing, book-keeping,
computer studies or ‘business’ English or French.

17. LITERACY RATE
Level 1 (22% of adults) Canadians at this level have difficulty dealing with printed materials and have few
basic skills for decoding or working with text. They most likely identify themselves as people who cannot
read.
Level 2 (26% of adults) Canadians at this level can use printed materials only for limited purposes such as
finding a familiar word in a simple text that is clearly laid out. They would likely recognize themselves as
having difficulties with common reading materials.
Level 3 (33% of adults) Canadians at this level can use reading materials in a variety of situations provided
the tasks involved are not too complex. While these people generally do not see themselves as having major
reading difficulties, they tend to avoid situations requiring reading. This level is considered by many
countries to be the minimum for successful participation in society.
Level 4 or 5 (20% of adults) Canadians at this level have strong literacy skills. This is a large and diverse
group that exhibits a wide range of reading skills and many strategies for dealing with complex materials.
These people can meet most reading demands and handle new reading challenges.

18. ACADEMIC RANK
Faculty appointment
• Professor emeritus or university professor emeritus
• Research chair, university professor, or distinguished professor
• Professor or full professor (research professor, professor of practice,
visiting professor, adjunct professor, professor emeritus
• Associate professor (research associate professor, visiting associate
professor, adjunct associate professor
• Senior Lecturer (teaching professor)
• Assistant professor (research assistant professor, adjunct assistant
professor
• Lecturer or instructor (sessional lecturer or sessional instructor
Non-faculty teaching and research personnel
•Senior fellow, senior research fellow or senior scientist
•Fellow, research fellow or scientist
•Research supervisor or principal investigator
•Research associate or postdoctoral associate
•Research assistant or teaching assistant
Administrative ranks
•Dean (often also full professors)
•Associate dean (often also full professors)
•Directors of administrative departments
•Associate/assistant directors of administrative
departments
•Chairs of academic departments (usually full
professors)
•Graduate Coordinators
•Undergraduate Coordinators

19. RANKING OF THE WORLD’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

20. CURRENT ISSUES OF CANADIAN EDUCATION
Canada may have a very high rate of enrolment for post-secondary education, but it does not erase its multiple flaws. The
three major flaws that have been increasing noticed among the federal government has been: the accessibility, the quality
of education, and financing education in general.
A. ACCESSIBILITY
Elementary and secondary schooling are available free to all Canadian children, and greater numbers of students than
ever are achieving high school graduation and attending universities.
The Canada Student Loans Plan (CSLP) has been a major facilitating factor in the growth of post-secondary
enrolment over the past three decades. Introduced in 1964, the plan superseded the more limited Dominion-Provincial
Student Aid Program of 1939, for students of high academic merit. Under the CSLP, the federal government assumed
responsibility for providing guaranteed loans to all qualifying applicants with demonstrated need, with the plan
administered on a provincial basis. Quebec, and later the Northwest Territories, opted out of joint federal-provincial
arrangements, establishing their own programs with parallel funding from the central government.
1. Student Loans
Rapid technological developments, changing workplace requirements and our complex bilingual and multicultural
society all create demands for a wider range of educational programs.
2. Diverse Needs

21. Although education has become widely accessible, obstacles to full participation persist for, among others, students
who are geographically isolated, members of many aboriginal communities, learners with disabilities, and children of
immigrants with little knowledge of either official language.
3. Special Needs
B. QUALITY OF EDUCATION
1. School Dropouts
2. Illiteracy
In recent years, the quality of education in Canada has been questioned on several fronts. Some educators, employers,
and others, have expressed concern that it has been eroded, and that the existing systems are not adequate to maintain
this nation's competitive position in the modern technological world.
The numbers of students who leave high school before graduation prompt us to question the quality of education in
Canada. A Statistics Canada Survey in 1991 indicated a dropout rate of about 18% (22% for males and 14% for
females). In this survey of more than 9,000 youths aged 18 to 20, school-related factors, including boredom, were the
most important reasons given for leaving school. In an earlier national survey, high school dropouts had frequently
cited the lack of motivation and boredom.
Illiteracy became a major issue of concern in Canada in 1987 when it was reported that about five million Canadian
adults were "functionally illiterate"; that is, they did not have reading or numeracy skills adequate to carry out routine
tasks.

22. 4. Mathematics and Science Education
There are indications that mathematics and science, vitally important aspects of learning, are not dealt with adequately
in Canadian schools. A survey of scientific literacy in 1990 indicated that most adults in this country had only a scant
knowledge of science. The fact that Canada has fewer engineers per capita than the United States or Japan may reflect
the degree of emphasis this country has placed on science education.
The OECD has declared that "internationalization," a process of integrating an international dimension into university
functions, should be the new emphasis in higher education. Among other things, this process calls for curriculum
changes to incorporate the experiences and knowledge sources of other countries and give students the opportunity to
become "globally literate citizens." In recent years, some Canadian universities have been working toward this end.
5. International Education
3. Canadian Studies
Education is more than a preparation for the workplace and a means to an economic end. In Canada, as in every other
country, some knowledge of national history, geography, culture, and social issues is regarded as a necessary
preparation for good citizenship, as a means of promoting national unity, and as a basis for self-development and for
understanding this society and others. The Commission of Inquiry on Canadian University Education observed that
historical consciousness is one of the accepted goals of higher education. Many students, however, graduate from
university with only a very slight acquaintance with history and the social sciences.

23. C. FINANCING EDUCATION
The largest portion of total spending on education is done at the elementary-secondary level, with
provincial governments the largest direct source of funding. The major portion of federal support for post-
secondary education is through the EPF, whereby funds are transferred unconditionally to the provinces
and territories. In 1990-91, a five-year freeze on per capita transfer payments began, resulting in a 7.7%
drop in cash transfers that year. The federal government in effect reduced its financial commitment to post-
secondary education.

24. Thanks for Listening!
REPORTED BY: INALYN L. BERINDES
PREPARED BY: BELLE FLAIR