About Private Schools

For most parents, private school is about choice. Increasingly, parents from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds across Canada are choosing independent and private school so that they can find the school that is perfect for their child. The top reasons parents choose private school include: dedicated teachers, academic quality, student encouragement, safety and quality of teachers. Private school allows their sons and daughters to become fully engaged in their academics and extracurricular activities, helping them discover their abilities and excel in their post secondary education.

“In a private school,” says Bob Snowden, headmaster of St. Michaels University School in Victoria, British Columbia, “it’s expected that teachers are going to be involved in the extracurricular life of the school.”

We recently interviewed parents across Canada to share their personal experiences with us: reasons for sending their child to private school, what the experience was like and what changes they have witnessed in their child since.

Private and independent schools come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Day, boarding, all girls, all boys, coed, and religious schools all have much for parents to consider. There are also many alternative and learning disabilities schools that offer an effective way to teach and support your child.

For students in high school, many independent and private schools offer advanced study programs such as International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Round Square and Duke of Edinburgh. These programs expand what your child could learn, in an internationally recognized way. Some students are even able to earn university credits through Advanced Placement.

Fast facts about Private Schools in Canada

• Canada has more than 1,700 private and independent schools, with about 348,656 students. About one out of every 16 children in Canada, or 6.4 per cent, attended a private elementary or secondary school in 2003-2004. The enrolment level remains in the same range.


• Five provinces provide some public money to private schools—Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec. The arrangement varies from region to region.


• The proportion of children who come from households with an annual income of $50,000 to $100,000 was about the same in both private and public schools—45 per cent—in 1998-99.


• All private schools must register with the government education ministry or department in their province or territory, but this doesn’t necessarily mean schools are formally inspected.


• Private secondary schools granting credits must have their curriculum assessed by provincial education authorities, however not all schools or programs are accredited by the Ministry of Education, therefore families must research due diligence in making their selection.