Abstract
The contemporary system of education in Canada is intertwined in the conflicts and compromises made in the formation of the country. A diversity of approaches to education exists based on provincial and territorial political mandates, policies, and priorities. With multiple jurisdictional authorities having exclusive control of education, the education system can be best thought of as a system of systems. Federal policies of multiculturalism and bilingualism, English and French, are present in the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education systems. There are over 70 Indigenous languages spoken in Canada. Indigenous language revitalization, along with minority language revitalization, has become a national priority in education. People whose first language is neither English nor French make up just over a tenth of the population. Canada has one of the highest rates of immigration in the world. The most recent waves of immigration have added to the racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity of Canadian society, and thus influence programs and priorities in the education system. Currently, many provinces and territories are undergoing full system reviews and initiating educational reforms from kindergarten to secondary school. The cultural, historic, linguistic diversity along with the political landscape ensures that the education system in Canada will remain a system of systems.
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Friesen, S., Jacobsen, M. (2021). The Education System of Canada: Foundations of the Canadian Education System. In: Jornitz, S., Parreira do Amaral, M. (eds) The Education Systems of the Americas. Global Education Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41651-5_37
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