Understanding Quebec’s education system

In Quebec, there are two levels of general education:

• Elementary school
• High school

Children in Quebec generally start preschool (kindergarten) at age 5. The transition from kindergarten to Grade 1 is very important, as it marks the beginning of elementary school.

• Grade 1 – 6 years old
• Grade 2 – 7 years old
• Grade 2 – 8 years old
• Grade 4 – 9 years old
• Grade 5 – 10 years old
• Grade 6 – 11 years old

The elementary program is divided into three cycles:

• Cycle 1 (Grades 1 and 2)
• Cycle 2 (Grades 3 and 4)
• Cycle 3 (Grades 5 and 6)

High school consists of five grades:

• Secondary I – 12 years old
• Secondary II – 13 years old
• Secondary III – 14 years old
• Secondary IV – 15 years old
• Secondary V – 16 years old

The secondary program is divided into two cycles:

• Cycle 1 (Secondary I and II)
• Cycle 2 (Secondary III, IV, and V)

There are major differences between elementary and high school when it comes to class subjects and learning objectives, but they also have several things in common:

• Number of school days (180)
• Number of pedagogical days (18)
• Number of terms (3)
• Number of report cards (one at the end of each term)
• Passing grade for courses and exams (60 percent)

In both elementary and high school, the academic year is divided into three individually weighted terms (20 percent for Term 1, 20 percent for Term 2, and 60 percent for Term 3).At the end of each term, parents receive a report card.

The report card lists their child’s results for each subject, broken down by disciplinary competency. Along with these are comments from teachers regarding their child’s behaviour, performance, and/or work. Report cards also contain the following:

• Group and student averages
• Grades for each subject

Evaluations are designed to reflect certain values:

• Justice – Students have the right to retake examinations and lodge appeals.
• Equality – All students have an equal opportunity to demonstrate what they’ve learned.
• Equity – Evaluations take into account the individual characteristics of certain students or the common traits of certain groups.
• Adaptation – Evaluations can be tailored to specific needs.
• Coherence – Evaluations align with the values of the school.
• Openness – The Ministère’s intentions with respect to evaluations are clear.
• Rigour – Evaluation practices prioritize accuracy.

Also known as uniform or compulsory examinations, ministry exams are usually held in May and June for all students in the following grades.

French schools :

• Grades 4 and 6
• Secondary II, IV, and V

English schools :

• Grades 6
• Secondary IV and V

After graduating from high school, students have a number of options: technical training, preparation for university, etc. To find out more about the paths available to your child, check out our article on post-secondary studies.