Secondary Study in Canada

Most of schools in Canada are public funded, and provide high quality education overall. More and more Chinese families choose to send their Children to Canada for the secondary school.

There are several advantages for high school students to study in Canada:

• High school students already have a good thinking ability and independent living ability, and at the same time they are more adaptive and fast learners. Studying in high school in Canada, students can integrate into Canadian language and cultural environment easily, which is conducive to future life and development;
  • After obtaining a Canadian high school diploma, international students can apply for prestigious universities and popular majors on the same starting line as local students;
  • After graduating from high school, students have the opportunity to compete with local students for scholarships for undergraduate admission to Canadian universities on the same terms;
  • The student who had studied in high school in Canada usually have a better language level, can adapt to college life more quickly, and are more competitive in finding a job after graduation.

Choose a private or public school?

For secondary education in Canada, each province has comprehensive regulations and curriculum requirements for schools to follow. Whether it is a private or public school, the quality of education is high. Public school attendance is generally based on home boundary, and each school is unique in some way. Public high schools generally have a large number of students, and a number of clubs; students have more opportunities to have peers from different backgrounds and different talents. Private schools are normally more rigorous, with a lower teacher-student ratio; students can get more personal attention, and usually have more opportunities for organized extracurricular activities. The relative costs of private schools are relatively high.

Most Chinese families choose to study in Canadian public high schools because public high schools are generally very good in quality, and the fees are reasonable. The annual tuition and living expenses generally only cost about 150,000 RMB.

Application for Admission into the Public School

Freshmen in Canadian secondary schools generally have two enrollments in the fall (September) and spring (February). When applying, you need to provide a transcript of the past two years (one in Chinese and one in English, which needs to be stamped by the school), a letter of recommendation from the teacher, and an immunization record. You can fill in three schools you like when you apply. If there are no places in these schools, the Education Bureau will arrange other similar schools. Children under 18 years of age will need a legal guardian who has to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Canadian schools generally provide a high level of education, but each public school has different programs and activities (such as IB, AP program, arts, sports, etc.). It is important to have an education consultant who is familiar with the local situation to assist your child during the middle school study abroad.

How to Gain Positive Experience Studying Overseas? 

• Understanding culture and systems: Chinese children studying in Canada is definitely not as simple as changing cities. Students should be familiar with Canadian culture, customs, education system, medical system and legal system to avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble in the future.
• Learn self-discipline and time management: Chinese students are used to having teacher-scheduled tasks and memorable test-taking studies, while Canadian education focuses on students' creativity and initiative, and students have academic freedom to choose courses and schedules, so self-discipline and good time management skills are important to the success of studying abroad for Chinese students.
• Open mind: Canada is an immigrant country, and unlike the United States, Canada emphasizes multiculturalism rather than mainstream culture. Students studying in Canada will come into contact with people of different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. An open mind allows students to better understand others, learn and get along with others.
• Responsible host family, guardian and education consultant: It is difficult for parents to find and solve the child's psychological and academic problems in a timely manner when the child is away from home to study overseas. The homestay family, the guardian understands the local culture, and can better understand and help the child solve the problems. The local education consultant has a deep understanding of the Canadian education system as well as understands the academic pressures a student is facing. With professional knowledge and approaches, an education consultant can help students solve academic problems and improve performance.