Overview
In a nutshell, the Canadian education system consists of elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. Education is regulated by each provincial and territorial government. The Ministry of Education oversees smaller bodies called district school boards which regulate the individual schools. In general, the prevailing education systems in all provinces and territories in Canada are similar. The law in the province of Ontario requires that all children must attend school from the age of 6 to 18. Ontario has four publicly funded school systems: English Public, English Catholic, French Language Public, and French Language Catholic.
Breadth of Programs
It is common knowledge that every nation’s education system has its advantages and disadvantages, and Canada is no exception. The Canadian education system, as in most Western countries, is more student-centered, less strict and disciplinary, and focuses more on reasoning and creative thinking. The system is equally conducive to both hard working students and students who make little effort in learning. If a student is intelligent and is a hard worker, and has done well in school, he or she is encouraged to go to specialized programs designed for the gifted pupils. Those programs are IB, IBT, AP and Sci Tech. The ‘IB’ stands for International Baccalaureate, the ‘IBT’ for International Business and Technology, and AP for advanced placement. All these programs are very involved and intensive, requiring a great deal of time and effort on the students’ part.
High School Requirements
Most parents are happy to see their children remain in high school, but later become surprised when they discover that their children didn’t get admitted to a university because of low marks, and/or didn’t take any academic level courses in high school as would be required for university admission. We as parents have the duty and responsibility to always be aware of and monitor what courses our children are taking, and encourage them to focus on something that they find enjoyable to learn in order for them to meet the requirements to achieve their academic goals. There are 18 compulsory subjects and 12 optional subjects in high school. For example, if your child wants to become an accountant, you should advise your child to take similar courses in high school, such as business, accounting and mathematics, so that he or she can meet the qualification for college/university admission. Students seeking to become physicians or other healthcare professionals would be required to take high school academic courses such as biology and chemistry.
My Experiences
From my own teaching experience, I offer the following suggestions to parents:
- For any child to succeed in school, a strong foundation is required. In most school districts, the gifted program starts at Grade 3. Ask your child’s school if your child can qualify for the program. Usually your child’s school itself makes the decision for the gifted program based on IQ test and other assessments;
- Ensure you prepare your child for national testing, including EQAO. The Education Quality Accountability Office (EQAO) is an agency of the provincial government which tests all pupils for their reading, math and reasoning skills. EQAO tests are given three times throughout the student’s career, one when your child is in Grade 3, another in Grade 6 and the last in Grade 9. When your child is in Grade 10, he or she is required to take a literacy test. All students must pass the literacy test in order to graduate from high school
- Since French is also an official language in Canada, you have the choice to send your child to a French immersion school system, which starts in Grade 1, and/or to attend extended French at Grade 7
- If your child is in Grade 8, you have the choice to apply to either the IB or IBT programs for Grade 9. If you don’t apply, your child will not have the opportunity to attend these specialized programs even if your child has done extremely well in school. Because only a few Ontario high schools offer such programs, IB and IBT are very competitive and difficult to enter into.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I think we, the parents, have to make a concerted effort to guide our children through school and to engage them in their learning. Parents should take control and make it clear to their children that they want them to succeed in their future, as they love and care immensely for them. In some cases, children may require additional help outside of their school. There are many supplementary education centres that provide tutoring and learning services for math, science and English. Much of my experience with children’s learning stems from my involvement in the education sector. If you are concerned about your child’s learning, I suggest that you take an active role in consulting with his or her teacher(s) regularly in order to find out exactly what is going on, and to find a way to ensure that your child completes every assignment and stays focused on his or her learning. It may also be helpful if you talk to those who provide supplementary/tutoring education to see if your children stand to benefit from those services.