How do schools work in Canada?

Canadian children usually start kindergarten at 4 or 5, and the school year runs from early September to late June. Each province runs its own schools. In Ontario and British Columbia, children of most work-permit holders can go to state school free, but in Quebec they normally go to French-language schools.

The school year

The school year usually starts just after Labour Day in early September and ends in late June, with the long summer break in July and August. Unlike the UK, Toronto has no half-term weeks in the autumn or early summer, just single days off. Toronto’s main public board, the TDSB, has these dates for 2026–27:

• First day for students: Tuesday 8 September 2026
• Winter break: 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027
• Mid-winter (March) break: 15 to 19 March 2027
• Last day: 28 June 2027 (secondary) and 29 June 2027 (elementary)
• Several professional activity (PA) days, when schools are closed to pupils

Dates vary by board, so check yours. See Public holidays and school holidays and Childcare and holiday camps.

Starting ages

Children are placed by age, so your child may join a grade with a different number from their English year group. Talk to the school about the right grade.

Is state school free on a work permit?

Each province sets its own rules, and the answer depends on your permit. This is worth checking before you accept a job.

Children who aren’t covered, such as children of visitors, may have to pay international student fees. Bring your work permit, your child’s passport and birth certificate, and proof of address when you register. Check your school board’s rules for your exact permit

Catchments, Catholic boards and French immersion

Your child usually has a place at the local school for your home address, so where you rent decides your school. Popular schools can be full, and out-of-area places aren’t certain. See How do I find a place to rent?

Ontario funds 72 school boards in four systems: English public, English Catholic, French public and French Catholic. Alberta also funds public and separate (mostly Catholic) schools, as well as francophone and charter schools. Catholic elementary schools, such as Toronto’s TCDSB, usually ask for proof that the child or a parent is Catholic, such as a baptism certificate. French-language boards are for children whose parents have French-language rights under the Canadian Charter, so check eligibility with the board.

French immersion is different: English-speaking children are taught largely in French in an ordinary board. In Toronto, Early French Immersion starts in Junior Kindergarten and Middle French Immersion in Grade 4, and you apply months ahead.

Quebec: schooling in French

Under the Charter of the French language (often called Bill 101), children in Quebec state schools are taught in French unless they qualify for English. Children of foreign nationals who hold a work or study permit can get a temporary authorisation for an English-language school. It lasts for the length of the permit or stay, up to a maximum of 3 years, and can’t be renewed. If the family then gets a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) to settle permanently, it ends on 30 June of that school year. After that, children move to French-language schools or to a non-subsidised private English school. Plan for this before you move to Montreal.

Private schools

Private (independent) schools charge fees and set their own admissions. As an example, Lower Canada College in Montreal charges C$32,930 to C$34,945 a year in 2026–27, depending on grade, plus uniform and books. International students who have lived in Quebec for under 3 years pay C$7,500 a year more. Ask your employer whether it helps with school fees. See also Changing schools.