System of Education in Canada, province of Ontario

System of  Education in Canada, province of Ontario

The primary and secondary education in Canada is publically funded, free of charge and is paid for from the provincial budget. Each province sets its own budget, standards and rules.

Ontario links:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/,

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/,

Simple, easy to navigate and read informational site for the newcomers to Canada, Ontario:

http://www.settlement.org/topics.asp?section=EDUCATION

Easy to use web site for all the educational institutions from schools to postgraduate:

http://www.schoolfinder.com/

The postsecondary (or also called undergraduate) education is publically and privately funded. The postgraduate education is provided for a tuition fee to Canadians and International students. The cost for International students is higher (on average twice as high).

The postgraduate education (after completed at least a bachelor program) also is provided for a tuition fee. Canadian government or educational institutions can award grants and scholarships to the qualified candidates.

International students are expected to pay for the education and living expenses, but certain educational institutions can have some grants based on students’ academic achievements or country of origin.

The availability of those grants can be found directly with the educational institution or on special sites (the links are below). Each and every educational institution has its own rule and guidelines.

The amount awarded depends on your grades and extracurricular achievements, also participation in sports is important as well as community involvement. Canadian universities and colleges being publicly funded offer scholarships and or financial aid to the residents of Canada for the undergraduate degrees.

·      For applicants from different countries, including Canada: http://www.scholarshipscanada.com/

·      For Canadians: http://www.studentawards.com/

The certificates/degrees and or diplomas on completion of the level of education are usually recognized in the world educational institutions. Certain countries require to evaluate the credentials. This could be the case when applying to Canadian educational institution (especially for a postgraduate program).

You can find the procedure and a guidelines here http://www.wes.org/

Also, please verify this information with the student’s home country educational authorities to make sure that his/hers educational goals and the proposed educational path are in line with the chosen educational institution and the program.

Below is the image, describing the Canadian Educational system (please, note the ages and the grades correlate with the Ontario educational standards). The cut off date for the students in the Ontario school system (public or private) is December 31^st.

Also, if the student applying to a postsecondary educational institution is past certain age (usually past 21 or 25) he/she can apply as a “mature student”.