Education In PEI

Education in PEI is provided free to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents aged 18 years and under. As with the rest of Canada, education is a Provincial responsibility to administer. PEI is a member of the Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET), established in 2004. CAMET comprises of the four Atlantic Provinces, their aim is to improve education in the Atlantic region by joint development of a wide variety of products and services.

For education in PEI, students are legally required to attend school between the ages of 7 and 16 years, although most students continue until they are at least 18 years to receive a high school graduation.

It is extremely important that you find out when the registration period is to ensure that your kids get the places at the schools you want. The registration normally takes place several months before the year starts (I.E. register in Feb. for September). Contact the particular school to find out the precise details. There may well be an administration fee charged to register your child! Publicly funded elementary and secondary schools are administered by 3 elected Prince Edward Island School Boards The school year usually runs from the beginning of September through to the end of June. However, there may be variations to this within different school boards. Most schools close down for the months of July and August as well as breaks at Christmas and Easter.

There are a number of different types of schooling options available for education in PEI. The choices are English, French Language, French Immersion and Private schools. Parents also have the option of home schooling their children. There are two languages of instruction available, English and French.

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Prince Edward Islands Kindergarten and elementary schooling generally starts at the age of 5 years. Although some school boards do have different age cut off dates. The student will attend 5 days of either morning or afternoon classes. It is good preparation for full time school.

This age or younger is a very good time to think about saving for your child's post secondary education. Fees for post secondary education are very expensive. There is a savings plan available in which the Federal Government will input a percentage of your contributions. These are called Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP).

Students continue at Elementary School from Grade 1 (age 6) to Grade 6 (age 12), Junior High or Intermediate school from Grade 7 (age 13) to Grade 9 (age 15) and Senior High School from Grade 10 (age 16) to Grade 12 (age 18). Most students will continue with their education in PEI at high school to receive a high school graduation certificate. This is a necessity for post secondary education institutes and is also recognized by most employers.

Transportation by school buses is available for most students and is the responsibility of the school board. There may be fees payable for a bus pass.

Transfer From Abroad

Students who are coming to complete their education in PEI from a different school system should submit an official statement of previous standing, such as a report card, to the school they want to enroll in. You should also have the previous school records and transcripts, copies of course outlines and content.

After considering a number of factors including the students age, records and test results they will be placed in the appropriate grade. It will definitely be worth contacting any particular schools before you move to ensure you have everything you need. Even enquire about faxing documents to be sure they meet the requirements.

Post Secondary Education

There is a good variety of Post Secondary Education in PEI with high quality institutes to choose from. There is one publicly funded University which is also home to the Atlantic Veterinary college. Holland College is a publicly funded community college and has eleven training centres through out the province. The College de l'Acadie, based in Wellington, is a francophone Adult Learning Centre. There are also a number of private vocational schools.

Student Loans

As with all of Canada, the Post Secondary education in PEI is NOT free. Several years ago, the Canadian Government launched RESP's to help parents save for their children's future education needs. These are great if you start them early, but if your kids are about to start when you land it is too late. (see link above for more details).

The Federal (Canada Student Loan, CSL) and Provincial governments provide loans to supplement, not replace, the financial resources you are expected to contribute. The Prince Edward Island Student Financial Services is a scheme that provides financial assistance to eligible post secondary students. The amount of assistance you receive is based on financial need. Students and their families are expected to provide for post secondary education.

There are a number of different factors that will qualify you for a loan, but you must be a resident of Prince Edward Island, a Canadian citizen or Landed Immigrant, demonstrate you have financial need and you must be enrolled as a full time post secondary student in an approved program at a designated school.

For your convenience, here are links to our other education pages:

1. Alberta
2. British Columbia
3. BC Post Secondary Education
4. Manitoba
5. New Brunswick

1. Newfoundland and Labrador
2. Nova Scotia
3. Ontario
4. Prince Edward Island
5. Saskatchewan