The education system in Canada includes both publicly-funded and private schools, including: community colleges/ technical institutes, career colleges, language schools, secondary schools, summer camps, universities and university colleges.
In general, Canadian children attend kindergarten for one or two years at the age of four or five on a voluntary basis. All children begin Grade One at about six years of age. The school year normally runs from September through the following June but in some instances, January intake dates are possible. Secondary schools go up to Grades 11 or 12, depending on the province. From there, students may attend university, college or Cégep studies.
Canada ranked 3rd best country in the world for education in 2019 as per US News & World Report. It has 98 universities, 3 of them rank in the top 50, 7 in the top 200 and Canada’s top ranked University; University of Toronto is ranked 25th in the world as per QS world ranking. Canada is ranked in the top 5 nations that helps in the provision of a stronger higher educational system.
Education is a provincial responsibility under the Canadian constitution, which means there are significant differences between the education systems of the different provinces. However, education is important to Canadians, and standards across the country are uniformly high.
Canada has affordable education fees in comparison to other developed countries such as Australia, and New Zealand. And for an international student, the cost of studying in Canada and living expenses vary between $20,000 and $30,000, in Canadian dollars per year. However, cost of studying in Canada can change a lot depending on the enrolled program, institution, city and the standards of living expenses as costs vary across programs and provinces.
Generally, students are required to show evidence of $10,000 for 12 months living expenses for a student for Canadian High Commission New Delhi. Additional $4,000 will be required for spouse and another $3,000 for each dependent. This amount includes accommodation, food, transportation, books, and clothing.
All international students, regardless of which country they study in, are required to possess a health insurance cover. Medical coverage for international students in Canada varies from one city to another.
The two significant divisions of medical health cover in Canada are Provincial Health Care & Private Health Insurance.
The provincial medical health care system comprises essential preventive and emergency services. All international students studying in Canada with a study visa, are eligible for availing this provincial health care card to access the services when required.
International students can also opt for private health insurance which has many more advantages than provincial health care. The services included in the Private health insurance are private hospital rooms, ambulance services, dental costs, and prescription drugs. The average amount of private health insurance in Canada ranges between 600 and 1000 CA$
It is compulsory for all foreign students to obtain a student authority and visa before migrating to study in Canada. A student must also meet the requirements of the Canadian Immigration Act and Regulations under normal circumstances. Visa decision turnaround timeframe is minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. Visa Application Process for Canada is as below:
Step 1: Apply for Admission in College/University
Step 2: Pay Tuition Fee
Step 3: Purchase of GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate)
Step 4: Undertake Medicals from registered panel doctors
Step 5: Visa Lodgment (paper, and online both option available)
Step 6: Visa Decision
Step 7: Fly to Canada!
