Quebec Education

By law, all citizens under the age of 20 and living in Canada are entitled to free education by the end of secondary school. This, in combined efforts of the provincial authorities, makes Quebec home to one of the most comprehensive yet affordable educational systems in North America.

Even though private institutions are free to choose their medium of instruction, the government has taken special care to ensure that equal weight is given to the French language in the public education system.

The Importance of French Language

As per the Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, it is necessary for students to attend French-language schools as long as none of their parents or siblings have attended an English-medium school previously.

In a country which is majorly English speaking, these little steps ensure that the French language is sustained well within the local residents. However, to keep up with the rest of the world, English is always taught as a second language in French-speaking public schools.

With such a well-formed education policy, it is no wonder that this province has the highest rate of school attendance within the country.

The Unique Public School System

While the rest of the country follows the public funding of schools to the end of Grade 12, the province of Quebec provides a diploma certification at the end of Grade 11.

Once they complete their secondary education, students can further opt for a free pre-university program via the CEGEP (Collège d’Enseignement Général et Professionnel) system.

Universities such as McGill University and L’Université de Montreal are known all over the world for their research and graduation programs. With generous student aid programs and a very affordable tuition fee structure, students from all over the world flock over to the country to get a good education at an affordable cost.