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Nova Scotia Schools

Nova Scotia Education System

The education system in Canada covers elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. Education throughout Canada is governed by each provincial and territorial government, so there are slight differences between each province’s education system.

Canada provides universal, free elementary and secondary schooling for 12 years, except the province of Quebec which is 11. Education is compulsory and in Nova Scotia is mandatory to the age of 16.

Types:
Elementary: Children usually enter kindergarten at age 5. Elementary school generally includes grades 1 through 6. Some regions have 2 years of middle school or junior high school, and in areas without these, elementary school goes up to grade 7.

Secondary: Secondary school–usually called high school–encompasses grades 9 through 12. In regions without middle school and junior high, it also includes grades 7 and 8.

Post-secondary: Post-secondary education in Canada includes career college (also known as vocational school), community college, university and grad school.

Language programs: Language programs (English or French as a second language) are offered at middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities and private language schools throughout Canada. You can read more on these school types in the appropriate sections of this website.

Structure:
School districts: Canada is divided into public school districts, which in turn have school boards (elected officials) that implement policy and provincial curriculum. A school district usually serves one or more cities or towns, depending on their size.

Religious affiliation: Schools in Canada may be secular (no religious affiliation), Catholic or Christian (various Protestant denominations). Some provinces have separate school boards for religious and non-religious schools.

Public and private: Canada’s education system includes public schools, which are free and funded by the government, and private schools, for which students have to pay. At the post-secondary level, public colleges and universities still require students to pay tuition, but it is substantially less than tuition at private universities.