In Toronto there are no special schools connected to embassies or consulates for foreign students. Instead, all international students are welcome to apply to attend an English public school, a French public school, a separate (Catholic) school, or one of the many private schools. Because of the multicultural nature of Toronto, students from any part of the world will find that they are accepted within their peer groups without difficulty.
Ontario has an excellent public school system. It has a high level of academic excellence, and is comparable with educations programs from around the world.
Students begin school in the year they turn 4. Their education begins with two separate years of kindergarten (K): Junior K. and Senior K. Both of these levels are optional, but recommended to prepare your child for further immersion into the education system. Both levels of kindergarten are half day programs, but there are some programs that run on a full-day, alternate day basis. The focus of these early years levels is to provide grounding for reading & writing, basic math, and socialization.
A child is obligated to attend school in the year they turn 6. Grades 1-3 are considered Primary, grades 4-6 are Junior, grades 7-8 are Intermediate, and grades 9-12 are Secondary. Elementary schools may have grades K-6 (Kindergarten – 6th grade), K-8, or be split between two schools as K-4 and 5-8. Secondary schools sometimes have an Intermediate program, meaning that the school has grades 7-12. Other secondary schools only have grades 9-12.
To learn more about the Ontario educational system, visit the Board of Education website at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca.
