Elementary and Secondary Education
Ottawa has many schools to choose from. The city offers high quality English and French education in public (non-religious), Catholic and private school systems. The Ontario government pays for public elementary and secondary school education. If you enrol your children in private school, you will have to pay tuition fees. Costs vary depending on which school you choose.
In Ontario, all children aged 6 to 16 are legally required to attend school. Elementary schools provide junior kindergarten and kindergarten classes for children aged 4 and 5, and classes for grades 1 through 8 for children aged 6 to 13. Secondary schools (also called high schools) offer grades 9 through 12 for young people aged 13 to 18. Some public schools also offer English as a Second Language programs.
All children attending school in Ontario must provide proof of immunization. Students who are starting school in Ottawa must provide their immunization record to Ottawa Public Health Immunization Program. For more information please contact the Immunization Program at 613-580-6744 extension 24108.
To learn more about Ontario’s public school system and Ottawa’s school boards, you can refer to the following organizations:
- The Ottawa French Language Catholic School Board is the largest French-language school system in Ontario. It has 38 elementary schools, 8 high schools, 17,000 students, and 2,000 teachers and professionals.
- The Ottawa French Language Public School Board serves 11,000 students in 37 elementary and high schools in Eastern Ontario.
- Ontario’s Elementary and Public Schools provides all you need to know about preschool, elementary and secondary school in Ontario, and answers specific questions you may have as a newcomer to Canada.
- The Ontario Ministry of Education and Training oversees the province’s public school system.
- The Ottawa Catholic School Board has 81 schools serving 41,000 students in Ottawa.
- The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is the largest school board in Eastern Ontario, serving more than 43,000 elementary and 25,000 secondary students in Ottawa.
If you need assistance, the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO)’s Multicultural Liaison Officer Program can help integrate your children into the Ottawa school system.
As an adult looking to upgrade your training, you can enrol in Ottawa’s English-language Adult High School. This school offers courses for adults who haven’t graduated from secondary school. If you successfully complete these courses, you will receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (High School Diploma).
You can also enrol at École des adultes Le Carrefour, Ottawa’s French-language adult high school. In addition to courses that will lead to an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, Le Carrefour offers French as a Second Language Training.
Ontario Immigration’s Employment Ontario program can also help you get the education, skills and experience you need to achieve your goals. The organization’s services are listed in 25 languages.
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Post Secondary Education
Colleges and universities offer specialized learning for adults and high school graduates. If you or your children attend college or university, you will have to pay tuition fees. Costs vary depending on which school you choose. You may be eligible for financial assistance through a scholarship or bursary. Student loans are also available through the Ontario Student Assistance Program.
Ottawa’s colleges and universities welcome students from over a hundred different countries.
- Algonquin College offers more than 100 full-time programs, and the widest range of courses of any college in Ontario.
- Carleton University offers over 200 programs in 47 departments, including public affairs, journalism, film studies, engineering, high technology and international studies.
- La Cite collégiale offers 70 full-time college programs in areas such as administration, media and communications, health, technology, hospitality and tourism, community services and trades.
- The University of Ottawa is North America’s premier bilingual university. It offers more than 300 programs in 10 faculties.
- As an Ottawa resident, you can also study at universities and colleges across Canada through distance education. Visit Distance Education Links to learn more.
Ontario also has a strong apprenticeship program for people interested in learning skilled trades. Apprenticeship combines in-class lessons with paid on-the-job training. Visit the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ Apprenticeship site for more information.
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