Immigrant families who are moving into Canada bring along their children, who will become part of the various school systems across the country. The Canadian school system may be quite different from those in native countries. In some respects, the school systems in Canada can also be different from each other, depending on the province or territory.
Schools are funded and overseen on the federal level, provincial or territorial level, and on the local level. The chief policy making comes at the provincial level. Education is available in English and in French in most places if there are enough students in that area speaking the secondary language.
Provinces are separated into districts, from which school boards are derived. It is the responsibility of the school boards to make local policy and to implement the standard curriculum set forth by the province. Alberta allows for charter schools that are not subject to the school boards.
Schooling is mandatory to the age of 16 in most provinces, but in New Brunswick and Ontario, the age is 18. Education, in most instances, begins in Kindergarten. Junior Kindergarten is available in British Columbia and Ontario, and in some areas, Kindergarten is either not required or it is not available.
Elementary school generally includes grades 1 – 6 when there is a junior high school as the next step. In some areas, elementary school is extended through grade 8. Middle schools and junior high schools provide the transition from elementary to high school.
High school runs typically through grades 9 to 12. In Quebec, high school ends in grade eleven and is followed by CEGEP, a program that prepares the student for university or a technical field.
A thirteenth year was offered by Ontario to prepare students for university but it's been done away with. A second senior year, sometimes called a 'victory lap' is often used in its place to strengthen the student academically before entering university.
Beyond this, students can attend either vocational schools or enter a university. At a university they will earn a Bachelor's degree, and can continue studies to receive a Master's or a Doctorate. Vocational students will earn certificates and diplomas that will attest to their skills in the various trades.