Elementary & Secondary Overview

Publicly funded elementary and secondary schools are administered by district school boards.  Working within the framework of the Education Act and its regulations, district school boards adapt provincial education policy to local situations.  Trustees, as elected members of the board, represent the local community, providing a link between electors and the education system.

In all regions of Ontario, the Ministry of Education governs both the Public School Board and the Separate (Catholic) School Board, which are run as separate entities.

In Ontario, all permanent residents between the ages of 6 and 16 must attend school.  Most students continue to attend after the required period, to receive a graduation diploma in Grade 12.

Elementary schools provide Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten programs (for children aged 4 and 5) and programs for grades 1 through 8.  Secondary schools offer programs from Grade 9 through to Grade 12.  The high school program is based on a credit system.  Students must earn a total of 30 credits (one for every 110-hour course successfully completed) to obtain a high school diploma.  Eighteen of the credits are compulsory, earned in a specified number of courses from a list of subjects that every student must take.  The remaining 12 credits are optional, earned in courses that the student may select from the full range of courses offered by the school.  In Grade 9, most students will take a total of eight courses for eight credits.  Students must also complete 40 hours of community involvement activities and must pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, which is taken in Grade 10.

Curriculum

In Ontario, all publicly funded schools follow The Ontario Curriculum.  It describes what students are expected to know and be able to do in each subject area by the end of each grade.

Due to the amount of detailed information on the Curriculum in Ontario schools, we were unable to provide all of it for you in this report.  Detailed information can be obtained by visiting: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum

Public Schools 

The public schools system in both Kincardine and Port Elgin are operated by the Bluewater District School Board and the Catholic School system is provided by the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board. You can find the school boundaries by visiting: School Information. 

Private Schools

Application procedures for private schools differ from school to school.  An entrance test and interview with the child are generally required.  There is not always availability at your private school of choice and your child’s name may be placed on a waiting list for entrance during the school year or subsequent years.  It is a good idea to source out private schools well in advance as their registration takes place in (approximately) December of the prior year and January and February of the same school year.  For a detailed listing of private schools in Ontario, please visit www.ourkids.net.

Post-Secondary Schools

Ontario's publicly-funded postsecondary education system is made up of 20 universities, 24 colleges of applied arts and technology and other facilities. Ontario has some of the best programs, offered by renowned experts, in the world.

Colleges

Colleges offer a range of programs: certificate programs that are one-year or less, two- to three-year diplomas, apprenticeships, and degrees. Some colleges also offer programs in partnership with a university to grant both a degree and a diploma.   A list of Ontario colleges can be found at Ontario Colleges.

Universities

Publicly funded universities offer three and four-year undergraduate degrees, as well as post-graduate and professional programs.

Some universities offer partnerships with a college to grant a degree and a diploma concurrently. Co-op programs are also available.

A list of the Universities in Ontario can be found by visiting: Ontario's public universities.