C1. Overview

The systems of education in Canada are comprehensive and recognized internationally for their high quality. They are understood as “systems” of education because each province and territory has exclusive responsibility for elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education within its borders. There is no national department of education; however, there are national mechanisms to facilitate recognition and transferability of course credits and credentials.

For agents, this means that they will need to have contacts/information specific to the provincial education system rather than at the national level. Some web links to keep close by are:

• The EduCanada website.
• The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada list of designated learning institutions that qualify to enrol international students.
• The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials’ (CICIC’s) listing of Ministries/Departments Responsible for Education in Canada as well as its Credential Evaluation, Assessment, and Qualification Assessment Services page.
• Languages Canada (LC): This organization’s website can help agents find out which accredited Canadian languages schools provide language education for international students.
• The Canadian Association for Public Schools—International (CAPS-I): This organization’s website can help agents find out which public schools (elementary/secondary, also known as K-12 which is short for Kindergarten to Grade 12) in Canada provide education to international students.
• The Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS): This website can help agents see which Canadian K-12 schools outside of the public school system (i.e., private or “independent”) provide education to international students.
• Universities Canada: This organization’s website can help agents find out which Canadian universities provide education to international students.
• Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan): This organization’s website can help agents find out which Canadian colleges, cégeps, institutes, and polytechnics provide education to international students.

The basic structures of the education systems across Canada are similar: each system in every province/territory has three tiers—elementary, secondary, and post-secondary. Notable differences include:

• The grades at which each level begins and ends vary according to province/territory;
• Education is compulsory to the age of 15, 16, or 18, depending on the jurisdiction.