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Canada’s educational system provides many options for families. First, there are publicly funded and private schools. Children can study at the primary and secondary levels for free at publicly funded schools. Parents pay for education at private schools but have more control over the kind of education their children receive.

Additionally, there can be schools focused on specific values. For example, there are public schools based on religion or language. You can enroll your children in a public catholic school where they can learn based on Christian values. Additionally, you can find schools with a special emphasis on a language like French. Private schools offer even more variety, such as different learning philosophies and curriculums.

As for the system itself, the general progression lasts from about ages 5 to 18. In general, this period is split into 13 years or grades. The first of these is called Kindergarten, which proceeds to grades 1-12. Most public schools have a primary school building from grades 1-5, middle schools from 6-8, and high school from 9-12. Catholic schools usually have a single primary school from 1-8, and high school from 9-12. This means that children go through at least 2 or 3 school buildings before post-secondary.

Every student must receive a passing grade to progress from one year to the next. Each province defines its own curriculum. Also, each province decides the passing grade. Children will receive report cards throughout the year which document their progress. The grading system usually includes a letter system though details vary between province. You can receive letters from A-D, with C and above usually being a passing grade and F being the lowest possible score. Often, this grading system is also paired with a percentage.