DIVERSITY OF

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS
IN CANADA
Structure and organization of education in Canada
Diversity of schools in Canada

Contemporary Canadian provincial governments fund a diversity of

schools including:

™ Public school systems

™ Separate school systems catering for Roman Catholic and specific
Protestant denominations
™ A variety of private or independent groups (Pentecostal Christian
education))
Diversity of schools in Canada
Public school system

In 1985, Canada already had a substantial degree of diversity in

the public education system. Several provinces supported more than
one ppublic school system.
y For example,
p Quebec had separatep
systems of English and French language school boards across the
province, while Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan supported both
“public”
p and Roman Catholic school systems.
y Duringg the 1990s,, in
response to a series of decisions by the Supreme Court, all provinces
also created self-governing Francophone school systems for minority
language pupils; Ontario has both “public” public and Catholic
francophone systems, giving it four public education systems.
Diversity of schools in Canada
Alternative schools

Further, many local school boards have long supported a range of

alternative schools. Many Canadian school districts have a variety
of pprograms
g such as multi-graded
g alternative elementaryy schools,
French Immersion (in which non-francophone children are taught in
French), International Baccalaureate, and others.
Diversity of schools in Canada
Ethnic schools

In response to a growing recognition of ethnic diversity in the 1970s

and 1980s, schools across Canada began to teach or even
specialize
p in a rangeg of languages
g g including g German, Chinese,
Hebrew, and others. Schools with a focus on Aboriginal culture and
heritage, or on black culture and heritage, were created. The
Edmonton Public School District was one of the most aggressive
gg in
creating a wide range of alternative schools, with extensive
parental choice, within the ambit of the public school system.
Types of religious school systems in Canada
Newfoundland, Quebec City and Montreal

Denominational Separate or Dissentient

wherein all members of a given in which the members of the
religious faith of voting age are, Protestant or Roman Catholic
by virtue of the faith minority have exercised a right
automatically the electors of the to withdraw from the p public
f ith’ school
faith’s h l system
t and
d their
th i
children have a right to attend system to form their own school
only schools of that system. district.
Newfoundland,
Newfo ndland for example,
e ample had four fo r For example, in Quebec City and
denominational school systems: Intergrated Montreal two systems operate, one
Protestant, Roman Catholic, Seven Day Roman Catholic and one Protestant
Adventist, and Pentecoastal
Types of religious school systems in Canada
Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories

By law in these jurisdictions, the first school system formed was the
“public” system.

If the public system embraced the Protestant religion, then the Roman
Catholic minority was given the right to withdraw from the public
system andd set up its own “separate”
“ ” school
h l district.
d C
Conversely,
l iff the
h
public board adopted a Roman Catholic character, then a Protestant
separate school board could be formed.
Types of religious school systems in Canada
Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta

In practice, the distinctions between separate and denominational

schools has faded. As the years have passed, school systems have
grown and almost all Protestant separate
g p school districts in Ontario,,
Saskatchewan and Alberta have merged with Protestant-majority
public districts. As well, most “public” Roman Catholic districts have
merged
e ged w
with Roman
o a Ca
Catholic
o c sepa
separate
a e sc
school
oo ddistricts.
s c s.
Today, it is most common in these three provinces to speak to the non-
denominational or secular public system and the Roman Catholic
s stem although
system, altho gh Alberta maintains one “public” “p blic” Roman Catholic
school district, several public boards in Saskatchewan are dominantly
Roman Catholic, and both Alberta and Ontario each have one
P t t t separate
Protestant t school
h l board
b d left
l ft att the
th moment.t
Types of religious school systems in Canada
Quebec

In Quebec, many Protestant dissentient districts merged with the

Protestant denominational boards, while Roman Catholic dissentient
boards for the most p part became p part of the ppublic system.
y
Traditionally, in Quebec, the Protestant school boards have been
associated with the Anglophone community, and the public school
boards
boa ds have
ave bee
been assoc
associated
a ed wwith thee French
e c Ca
Catholic
o c majority.
ajo y.
Nevertheless, a few dissentient Protestant and Roman Catholic school
boards remain.
Types of religious school systems in Canada

Rights to denominational, separate or dissentient schools are

guaranteed in the Canadian Constitution
Types of private schools in Canada
What is a Private School in Canada?

If a private school is defined as one that operates outside of the

provincially funded and governed school system, then there exist a
number of different varieties.
Types of private schools in Canada
Religious schools

In many provinces these are excluded from the public system as a

result of the terms of Section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867. They
may y be p
private schools that operate
p in p
provinces, such as Manitoba,
where the public system is strictly non-denominational. Or, they may
be schools that operate according to the tenets of faiths outside the
mainstream Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. These include
Jewish and Islamic schools as well as those operated by the Mormon
and other Christian communities. Parents whose children attend such
religious schools are often required to pay fees for service to those
schools. The parents are not, however, exempted from paying school
taxes towards the maintenance and operation of the public
education system.
Types of private schools in Canada
First Nations schools

These are excluded from the public system as a result of the various
Treaties signed between First Nations and the Government of
Canada during g the late 1800s. The federal g government is
responsible for the education of First Nations children.
Funding for Band schools is provided by the federal government
and administered by the Chief and Council of the First Nation.
Nation As
education is considered a treaty right, parents do not pay fees or
taxes to support their school. If non-Band members attend a First
Nations school,
school or Aboriginal students attend a school off-reserve,
off reserve
then tuition agreements are developed between the local public
school board and the Band.
Types of private schools in Canada
Independent private schools

These schools modeled on the British public school, where parents

pay annual tuition fees in order for their children to attend.
There are many independent
Th i d d t schools
h l across theth country,
t eachh off
which attempts to establish or define a niche not met by the public
school system. What is common to many, however, are that they
stress the
h smallll class
l sizes
i and
d individualized
i di id li d instruction
i i available
il bl to
their students. Such arrangements are possible because fee levels
can be manipulated in order to meet organizational needs.
Types of private schools in Canada
Charter schools

These are essentially schools that have been established to meet the
needs of a specific population and yet which operate under
provincial legislation.
p g Theyy are defined as "autonomous p public
schools which would provide innovative or enhanced means of
delivering education to improve student learning. It should be noted
that in law these schools operate
p as p public schools and are not
permitted to restrict enrolment to certain groups of students. In
practice, however, there are some indications that charters are being
written in such a way as to target specific populations.
Types of private schools in Canada
Home schools

Finally, there are those parents who choose to home school their
children in an environment totally separate from a formal school
system.
y Such p
parents have basicallyy withdrawn from the p public
system and yet are unwilling, or unable, to send their children to
organized alternative settings.
Funding of private schools in Canada

Funding for private education varies from province to province. It is

nonexistent in the Yukon, but as much as 75% in Quebec.
Funding of private schools in Canada
Ontario

In Ontario the Catholic system continues to be fully publicly funded,

but other faiths receive no such funding. Ontario has several private
Jewish,, Muslim,, and Christian schools,, but all are funded throughg
tuition fees. Since the Catholic schools system is entrenched in the
constitution, the Supreme Court has ruled that this system is not
uunconstitutional.
co s u o a . However,
oweve , thee U
United
ed Na
Nations
o s has
as ruled
u ed that
a OOntario's
a os
system is unfair.
Funding of private schools in Canada
British Columbia, Alberta and the rest of the provinces

In other provinces privately operated religious schools are funded. In

British Columbia the government pays 50% of the cost of religious
schools that meet rigorous
g provincial standards. The p
p province has a
number of Sikh, Hindu, Christian, and Muslim schools. Alberta also has
a network of charter schools, which are fully funded schools offering
distinct
d s c appapproaches
oac es too educa
education
o wwithin thee pub
publicc sc
school
oo sys
system.
e . These
ese
schools have to follow the provincial curriculum and meet all
standards, but are given considerable freedom in other areas. In all
other provinces private religious schools receive some funding, but not
as much as the public system.
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Prior to any early organization among the settlers

The native peoples of Canada were educated within the families and
communities in which they lived. Basic early educational practices and
beliefs were p
passed on to the yyoungg byy an older g
generation in order
to maintain the individual culture and social order of the cultural
group.
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Early European settlers (1700s – mid 1800s)

Education was not only a family matter, but an important concern of

the Christian churches to maintain their control over the moral life of
the earlyy settlers.
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
The arrival of the first colonists from Europe (mid 1800s)

It was inconceivable for the churches to separate their religious and

education mandates. The colonists willingly provided land grants to
aid the cause of religious
g education.
By 1842, Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta had formal schooling.
By the end of 18th century, three major religious denominations
(Ch h off England,
(Church l d Roman Catholic
C h l and d Methodist)
M h d ) were actively l
promoting education.
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Upper and Lower Canada

The first schools in New France were operated by the church. In the
early nineteenth century the colonial governments moved to set up
publiclyy funded education systems.
p y However,, soon religious
g divisions
became problematic. At the time religious study was considered an
integral part of education, but Protestants and Catholics were deeply
divided
d v ded oveover how
ow thiss educa
education
o sshould
ou d be de
delivered.
ve ed. In Uppe
Upper
Canada the Catholic minority rejected the Protestant practice of
Biblical study in schools, while in Lower Canada the Protestant minority
objected to the education system instilling Roman Catholic dogma.
Thus in both these areas two schools systems were established, a
Catholic and a Protestant. Upon Confederation these schools systems
were enshrined in the British North America Act,
Act 1867.
1867
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Maritime provinces

In the three Maritime provinces, schools were mainly Protestant, and a

single Protestant oriented school system was established in each of
them. In Newfoundland there was not onlyy the Catholic/Protestant
/
split, but also deep divisions between Protestant sects, and nine
separate schools systems were set up, one catering to each major
denomination.
de o a o . Eventually
ve ua y thee major
ajo Protestant
o es a boa
boards
ds merged
e ged intoo a
an
integrated school system.
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Prairie provinces

The three Prairie provinces adopted a system based on Ontario's with

a dominant Protestant system, and smaller Catholic ones. In 1891,
however Manitoba moved to eliminate the Catholic board,, sparking
p g
the Manitoba Schools Question. Eventually the Catholic school system
in that province was merged with the Protestant one. British Columbia
established
es ab s ed a non-sectarian
o sec a a scschool
oo sys
system
e in 1872.
87 .
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Residential School System

The Canadian residential school system consisted of a number of

schools for Aboriginal children, operated during the 20th century by
churches of various denominations ((about sixtyy p per cent byy Roman
Catholics, and thirty per cent by the Protestants) and funded under the
Indian Act by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, a branch of the
federal
ede a gove
government.
e . Thee sc
schools'
oo s pu
purpose
pose was, acco
according
d g too thee Indian
da
Act, to "civilize" aboriginals, teach them English or French, convert
them to Christianity, and end their traditional ways of life.
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Private Schools

About 8% of students are in private schools. A minority of these are

elite private schools. These schools are attended by only a small
fraction of students,, but do have a g great deal of p prestige
g and
prominence. It is not unusual for the wealthy and prominent in Canada
to send their children to public schools, especially in the lower grades.
A far
a larger
a ge poportion
o oof p
private
va e sc
schools
oo s a
aree religious
e g ous based institutions.
s u o s.
Private schools are also used to study outside the country. For
example CCI has an Ontario curriculum, but the students study in Italy.
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Private Schools

Private schools have historically been less common on the Canadian

Prairies and were often forbidden under municipal and provincial
statutes enacted to p provide equality
q y of education to students
regardless of family income. This is especially true in Alberta, where
successive Social Credit (or populist conservative) governments
denounced
de ou ced thee co
concept
cep oof p private
va e educa
education
o as thee main
a cause oof
denial of opportunity to the children of the working poor. These rules
lasted longer than Social Credit; it was only in 1989 that private K-
12 schools were allowed to operate inside the boundaries of the City
of Calgary.
The Emergence of Public/Private Education
Today

Over time, the originally Protestant school boards of English Canada,

known as the public schools, became increasingly secularized as
Canadians came to believe in the separation
p of Church and state,, and
the main boards became secular ones. In Ontario all overt religiosity
was removed from the public school system in 1990. In two provinces
the
e sec
sectarian
a a educa
education
o sys
systems
e s have
ave recently
ece y bee
been eeliminated
a ed through
oug
constitutional change. Newfoundland, after a close and controversial
referendum, eliminated its multiple school boards, merging them into a
single public board. In Quebec the Catholic/Protestant divide was
replaced with a French language/English language one.
SUMMARY

As in all immigrant societies, the spread of formal education in

Canada followed a predictable pattern as religious orders and
missions attempted
p to "civilize" both the aboriginal
g and the settler
communities. All levels of formal education from the seventeenth
century onward had their roots in Catholicism, Anglicanism, and after
1763,
763, wwhen
e thee British
s assu
assumeded co
control,
o, a w
whole
o e range
a ge oof p
protestant
o es a
denominations.
SUMMARY

Canadian educational history passed through several stages:

™ 1700s to mid 1800s: church-controlled education
™ Mid 1800
1800s: a more centralized
li d authority,
h i universal
i l free
f
education, and taxation at the local level
™ Late 1800s to 1900: the creation of provincial departments of
education, a more consistent curriculum, better trained teachers,
continued local taxation together with provincial grants
™ From 1900 to the present day: the creation of Ministers of
Education in each province and provincial governments playing
an increasingly significant role in the shaping of policy and
administration over time
SUMMARY

There is among the Canadian public an overarching belief in the

moral rightness of a public education system. This system is based on
the historical coming-together
g g of three distinct models: the English
g
grammar school, the French parish school, and the United Empire
Loyalist belief in local governance.

With regard to public education, Canadians subscribe to three

common social and educational values: equality of access, equality of
opportunity, and cultural pluralism.
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