Tag: education

Studying in Canada: A Guide for Non-Canadians

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Studying in Canada
Canada is emerging as an increasingly popular destination for UK citizens studying overseas.

Guest post by James Cave

With the introduction of compulsory course fees at English and Welsh universities, many potential UK undergraduates are seriously considering studying overseas for the first time. The thinking goes that if you’re going to be paying thousands each year to expand your mind at university, why not enhance the experience by submerging yourself in the culture of a different country at the same time?

As an English speaking Commonwealth country, Canada is emerging as a top choice for many getaway students from the UK. This is understandable for the reason that Canada is different from home but not different enough to be scary or alienating.

However, here are many good reasons to consider studying in Canada. Firstly, it’s a big place, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific in the west, and offers a huge variety of locations to choose from. From cutting-edge festival cities such as Montreal and Toronto which regularly poll as offering among the highest quality of life anywhere in the world to visually stunning and unique places such as Quebec, Alberta and Newfoundland, Canada has a university town to attract everyone. And, although it is a long plane journey away, there are plenty of companies that fly to Canada, especially to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.

On a practical level, tuition fees in Canada are generally competitive with those in the UK and other English speaking countries. Many educational institutions in Canada offer scholarships, grants or bursaries for international students. Each institution is different, though, so it’s best to research the institutions you’re considering applying to individually to find out what sort of financial support opportunities may be available. You can find contact information for each university at the Study in Canada website. You’ll also find information on the admission policies of each institution.

Crucially, the education you receive and the qualifications you gain from an accredited Canadian university, college or business school will be recognised throughout the world. You can check that a particular institution is fully accredited by visiting the website of the

Education Choice in Canada

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Guest post by Jim Huinink, Director of Web Strategy for ourkids.net

Whether you are new to Canada or just a new parent in Canada, there are many choices to be made in finding the right school for your son or daughter. Many of the public schools in Canada offer an exemplary education.

However, many parents and children have more specific needs or desires that can be met only by one of Canada’s many private schools. Within the broad sphere of private education there are a wealth of options for parents and their children. These options include girls’ boarding schools, boys’ schools, Montessori schools, Christian schools, Jewish schools and Waldorf schools, to name a few. On top of those broad options, parents of children with special needs can find schools across Canada that specialize in helping their children. There are schools both public and private with programs to help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and many other learning disabilities and challenges children might face.

Since every child and every family is unique, parents in Canada should investigate many different options to find out what school is right for their child or children. For parents living in or moving to any of the major centers such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal or Ottawa, there will be private schools to suit any need or challenge.

Like many countries in the Western world Canada prides itself on freedom of choice. This applies to education as well, where there is no need to think that there is one size to fit all. In fact, private schools in Canada are often at the forefront of innovation in education methods as well as technology. For example, Toronto was the first home of Montessori education in North America, where the Toronto Montessori School was founded in 1961. Innovation by Canada’s private schools is still seen today, exemplified for example, by the growth of the Arrowsmith Program.

Welcome to Canada

For families outside of Canada considering sending their children to Canada for English language immersion and exposure to Western culture, there is no better, safer alternative imaginable than a private school in any of Canada’s larger cities. Since parents sending their children to Canada will have to pay tuition and board no matter where they go, there is no better choice imaginable than sending a daughter or son to one of Canada’s premiere boarding schools which welcome students from abroad with open arms.

In fact, Canada’s universal reputation for being exuberantly welcoming certainly extends to its private and boarding schools. As one student puts it, “I have friends here from Zambia, Jamaica, Korea, China, Ukraine and Hungary. The school is so welcoming that we all feel comfortable, regardless of where we are from or what our first language is.”

Jim Huinink is the Director of Web Strategy for ourkids.net, Canada’s premier guide to private schools, including private education choices from girls’ boarding schools to schools with at risk programs.