Why Study In Canadian High School
Within Canada, high school has become a place where students can reach their full potential and explore the kind of person they want to be. With an excellent quality of life and an exceptional education system, for students looking for the best education they can possibly get, Canada is the ideal choice for secondary studies. Overall, here are six reasons why international students should consider choosing Canada to start or continue their high school education.
1. A modern classroom
In a world that is constantly changing, those who fall behind are often left struggling to find work or keeping up with modern demands. Within Canada, the well-funded, public education system allows for a quality learning environment no matter what school a student is placed in. As a result, Canadian high schools take note of the changing needs of the outside world and fund initiatives that allow them to keep up with the game. For example, within Ontario, there are many schools that have the “Chromebook One to One” initiative in which incoming students are given a Chromebook that they can keep for the rest of their high school careers. With increased access to technology, students are regularly practising the digital literacy skills essential for the workplace and their post-secondary studies. Canadian secondary education is one of the few education systems in the world that has the capacity and ability to implement solutions that keep learners focusing on relevant skills and ideas that will truly help them succeed.
2. Relevant and engaging coursework
A central part of the Canadian curriculum is that students are challenged to address real-world issues regardless of what pathway they are going into (college, university, apprenticeship or the workplace). Each course addresses and builds upon skills that allow them to critically think about current events, and form their own educated opinions. With every lesson carefully planned out, the content and ideas learned from Canadian courses prepare them significantly for their future career. For example, some schools may focus solely on Canadian and international issues and integrate this into every course. In biology, they may analyze the ethical issues related to stem cell research while in economics, they may view the same issue from a market-based perspective. By being able to think in different ways, students will become valuable employees as they can solve problems more effectively and creatively.
3. Cooperative education and internship programs
In addition to a challenging and engaging curriculum, students have the opportunity to supplement their studies with real-world work experience. Although the structure of cooperative education varies from province to province, students are able to volunteer or work within the community for high school credit across Canada. In participating in the school’s cooperative education program, students are able to shadow future careers that they want to have, and test out whether they are confident in pursuing that occupation in the future. Internships are a great way to practice one’s skills in an applied setting where theory is not the main focus of learning. From the research assistant to construction worker, there are thousands of opportunities for students to explore their future job.
4. Exceptional and highly qualified staff
As an overall profession, teachers are highly regulated by each province and are only able to teach within the areas they are qualified for through their post-secondary education. What this means is that in Canada, students will not be getting an English teacher teaching mathematics at the secondary level. A vast majority of the teachers that teach in Canada genuinely care about their students and will do everything they can to support their students’ learning. This may include spending that extra hour to get student resources to succeed or giving up lunch to help a student understand how to do a problem.
5. An optimized learning environment
Unlike many schools internationally, Canadian high schools keep in mind that all students learn differently. As a result, Canadian high schools aim to address different types of learners in a wide variety of ways. Whether it is the structure of the school’s environment or the delivery of the curriculum by the teacher that is modified, the unique approaches to learning allow students to not only learn how they learn best but practice learning through different methods.
6. Strong, internationally recognized credentials
A primary issue within international education is that not all secondary diplomas are equal. The value of one nation’s secondary studies is often looked down upon in comparison to another’s. As a result, many schools will require international students to do additional tests or qualifications within their admissions processes. However, in Canada, each diploma, especially the OSSD, is recognized by post-secondary institutions across the world. The education system of each province is praised for their rigorous, quality-based delivery and as a result, their credentials are equally respected.
If you are looking to study in Canada after high school as well, having a Canadian high school diploma will significantly increase your chances for admission in comparison to an international diploma. Since Canadian schools recognize and can easily evaluate the rigour of your education within its own system, this means that your grades will be evaluated at face value rather than being scaled and converted disproportionately.
If you are looking to study in the USA, Canadian secondary credentials are valued just as much as their own diplomas. There are also many SAT and ACT testing centres that allow you to meet their standardized testing requirements essential for admission to US colleges. With a quality Canadian high school education, the sky is your limit!
