June 1 2004
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Home > Education in Quebec

Education in Quebec

Understanding the System

There are different cycles in a child’s schooling. As they progress through each level the cycle will change. There are 5 cycles all together, three of which are completed at the elementary level:

High School:

  • Secondary Cycle One: (grade 7 and 8)
  • Secondary Cycle Two: (grade 9, 10 and 11)

After elementary school you have a choice to either send your child to junior high school to complete secondary I and II (if that option is available to you) or they can go straight onto high school.

Programs of Study

All schools offer Programs of Study. Programs of study are all the subject areas offered in a particular school. Through each subject as well as the subject matter being covered Broad Areas of Learning are taught e.g. health and well being, personal and career planning, citizenship and community life etc. These broad areas integrate essential life skills through various subjects helping students to relate subject specific knowledge’s to daily concerns, thus giving them a better grasp of reality. Within each topic learned, Competencies are fulfilled by all topics that are covered.

Competencies

A competency corresponds to the educational aims in the Quebec Education Program (QEP) and the essential knowledge a child should learn in each subject. Competencies can be defined as skills that a child learns in school that are essential for a child to effectively participate through school and into adult hood, including further education and employment.

End-of-Cycle Outcomes

These are benchmarks for what may be expected of a student at the end of a cycle. End-of-Cycle outcomes describe the knowledge and range of performance that the majority of pupils should be able to demonstrate by the end of each cycle.

Why have End-of-Cycle Outcomes and Tests

  • Schools use outcomes and tests to see where students need to improve, so that they can help tailor a students learning.
  • Students also get a sense of achieving something at the end of a cycle.
  • The Quebec Ministry of Education uses these outcomes to see how many students are making the right kind of progress in different subject areas.
  • The End-of Cycle Outcomes for every student in each subject describe what students should be able to do and know.

The aim of the ‘End-of-Cycle Outcomes’ is to give a level most students should have already reached by a certain age. However, there will always be some students below and others beyond the desired outcomes. If your child finds the work easy, talk to their teacher about the outcomes they should be aiming for – they may need to aim higher. On the other hand if your child is finding subjects more difficult the school should contact you.

Always remember:

  • All children develop at different rates. Some may not reach a particular level at a given age, but will catch up later.
  • At the moment, however, your child may need extra help from their school and from you. Talk to their teacher about how you can help.
  • As a parent or carer, you have a very important role to play in helping your child learn. The most important thing you can do is to be interested in what they are learning in school. Encourage your child in and out of school in different things and always ask and be interested in what they are doing.

Learning Journey

To understand more about the Quebec Education Program go to:

These are reference guides for parents to use, and gain a better understanding of the Quebec Education Program. These sites also offers links to more useful information