INCLUDE: School board links, laval link

The Québec educational system oversees public schooling from kindergarten to university. Elementary and secondary (high school) education is available free of charge. Post secondary education in Québec is heavily subsidized, making college or CÉGEP, university, and vocational training extremely affordable.

Elementary schools offer kindergarten to grade 6. Secondary education starts with Secondary 1 (equivalent to grade 7 in other parts of North America) and continues to Secondary 5 (Grade 11). School attendance is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 to 16. The school year begins late August or early September and usually finishes before June 24. It lasts at least 180 days.

The Québec public school system is language-based (Anglophone or Francophone). The English-language school board in Québec City is the Central Québec School Board (www.cqsb.qc.ca).

In 1977, Québec’s National Assembly adopted the French Language Charter (Bill 101), which states that all children must be educated in French until the end of their secondary studies, whether in a public school or a subsidized private school. It should be noted that this ruling does not apply to Québec’s colleges and universities or non-subsidized private institutions.

For those students who are not fluent in French, the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) offers a variety of language learning support measures in cooperation with local school boards that dispense preschool, elementary school, and secondary school education.

The French Language Charter does provide for certain special cases where children are allowed to pursue their studies in English at public or subsidized private schools. Youth in the following three categories may be enrolled in English-language schools:

Youth who are permanent residents of Québec and who qualify for a certificate of eligibility for instruction in English;

Youth who are permanent residents of Québec and who are entitled to receive instruction in English under a special authorization;

Youth who are living in Québec temporarily and who qualify for a temporary authorization to receive instruction in English.

Anyone wishing to enroll their children in an English school (elementary or secondary) must first apply for an eligibility certificate for that child. A certificate of eligibility is usually given to children who fall into these categories:

Those who did most of their elementary or secondary studies in English in Canada; or

Whose brother or sister did most of his or her elementary studies in English in Canada; or

Whose father or mother did most of his or her elementary studies in English in Canada; or

Whose father or mother attended school in Québec after August 26, 1977 and could have been declared eligible for instruction in English at that time.

Other cases may also be considered. This is a very complex process. Contact the Central Quebec School Board at 654-0537 for additional information and assistance. You can also call the Ministry of Education (MELS) at 1-866-747-6626 or visit their web site for more information, www.mels.gouv.qc.ca.

There are no private English schools here. École Vision (www.visionschools.com) is a private trilingual school with instruction in English, French, and Spanish.