Canada’s Education System
Canada’s public school system and public universities are among the top-ranked in the world and provide world-class education to people regardless of their background. Canada spends about 7% of its annual GDP on education, making it a priority and as a result, Canada has a very literate society with 99% of Canadians aged 15 and higher having at least a ninth-grade education and more than 20% of the workforce holding a post-secondary or higher academic degree.
A lot is invested on the education of children and the future generation of Canadian leaders and workforce “torch carriers.” The Canadian government guarantees an education for every child free of charge, which is mandatory by law starting at the age of four or five until the ages 15 or 16, depending on where you live in Canada. This type of public education is paid for through taxes and is administered by the provinces and territories in cooperation with local school boards.
Both Elementary and Secondary education (Kindergarten through 12th Grade) in Canada are for the most part funded and regulated by the federal, provincial and local governments. Within the provinces, under the Ministry of Education, there are district school boards administering the educational programs. Curriculum is overseen by the province, giving parents and the community access and influence on certain programs and education tracks.
Because the Canadian government believes that an educated population is much more likely to create greater economic success, Canada does not only focus on educating its youth, but also provides training and high school courses for adults who need to improve their skills. It is considered to be in the interest of the country to train its workforce to better compete in today’s global economy.
With more than 50% of adults holding a college or university degree, Canada stands out as one of the best-educated societies in the 21st century. And the ratio of high school graduates versus non diploma-holders is changing as well with a decreasing gap, partly due to changes in the labor market that require people to have at least a high school diploma and, in many cases, a university degree.
Provincial and territorial education systems also continue to make headway in reducing the number of students who drop out of school. Fifteen years ago, one in five adult Canadians did not complete their high school education. Today, that figure has dropped to one in ten. Keep in mind that these numbers vary according to location and some schools have as few as 1 in 100 students who dropout.
Canada also invites and accepts many international students into its Student Visa program because as a nation, it wants high-quality students to fill its schools and then provide higher-caliber workers for the Canadian labor market. Canada has doubled the number of applications available for Student Visas in provincial and territorial public post-secondary institutions in the past decade in line with the growing market for high-tech and other accomplished individuals.
Written by: Canadian Visa Expert - Canada visa services
A lot is invested on the education of children and the future generation of Canadian leaders and workforce “torch carriers.” The Canadian government guarantees an education for every child free of charge, which is mandatory by law starting at the age of four or five until the ages 15 or 16, depending on where you live in Canada. This type of public education is paid for through taxes and is administered by the provinces and territories in cooperation with local school boards.
Both Elementary and Secondary education (Kindergarten through 12th Grade) in Canada are for the most part funded and regulated by the federal, provincial and local governments. Within the provinces, under the Ministry of Education, there are district school boards administering the educational programs. Curriculum is overseen by the province, giving parents and the community access and influence on certain programs and education tracks.
Because the Canadian government believes that an educated population is much more likely to create greater economic success, Canada does not only focus on educating its youth, but also provides training and high school courses for adults who need to improve their skills. It is considered to be in the interest of the country to train its workforce to better compete in today’s global economy.
With more than 50% of adults holding a college or university degree, Canada stands out as one of the best-educated societies in the 21st century. And the ratio of high school graduates versus non diploma-holders is changing as well with a decreasing gap, partly due to changes in the labor market that require people to have at least a high school diploma and, in many cases, a university degree.
Provincial and territorial education systems also continue to make headway in reducing the number of students who drop out of school. Fifteen years ago, one in five adult Canadians did not complete their high school education. Today, that figure has dropped to one in ten. Keep in mind that these numbers vary according to location and some schools have as few as 1 in 100 students who dropout.
Canada also invites and accepts many international students into its Student Visa program because as a nation, it wants high-quality students to fill its schools and then provide higher-caliber workers for the Canadian labor market. Canada has doubled the number of applications available for Student Visas in provincial and territorial public post-secondary institutions in the past decade in line with the growing market for high-tech and other accomplished individuals.
Written by: Canadian Visa Expert - Canada visa services