Canada

Education in Canada

Education in Canada is governed primarily at the provincial and territorial level. Each of the ten provinces and three territories has its own Ministry or Department of Education, which is responsible for setting curriculum, assessment standards, and teacher certification. There is no federal department of education; however, the federal government provides funding for specific programs, Indigenous education, and post-secondary institutions. Local school boards, elected by the public, administer schools and implement provincial policies. This decentralized model allows for regional adaptation to local needs, languages, and cultures, including French and English language education and Indigenous education initiatives.

Canadian education standards for grades 1 to 12 are established by provincial and territorial ministries of education, ensuring consistency within each jurisdiction. These standards define curriculum content, learning outcomes, and assessment methods. While there is no national curriculum, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) facilitates interprovincial collaboration and benchmarking. Canadian curricula are regularly reviewed to align with international best practices, such as those reflected in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Locally, standards emphasize literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and inclusion, with adaptations for French, English, and Indigenous languages and cultures.