The purpose of this document is to assist receiving schools in placing secondary students who have recently moved from one province or territory to another, in a manner that will ensure that their education is as continuous as possible. Sections devoted to each jurisdiction provide specific information pertaining to the secondary-education system of each of Canada's 10 provinces and three territories. Each section is composed of two parts: a summary statement and a summary of course content.

Part 1 – Summary Statement

The summary statement provides information about secondary education for each province or territory. This is where teachers, guidance counsellors, and school administrators receiving students from another province or territory will find definitions of specific terms, systems of course numbering, credit requirements, examination and grading practices, structures of school organization, curriculum organization, and requirements for graduation.

Information specific to each jurisdiction is presented under the following headings:

  1. Introduction
  2. Organization of School System
  3. Explanation of Terms Used (including special-education/student-services terms)
  4. Course Designation
  5. Time Allotments and Course Load
  6. Curriculum Organization
  7. Testing and Grading Practices
  8. Requirements for Graduation
  9. Prerequisites and/or Co-requisites 
  10. Other Types of Programs
  11. Assessment of Out-of-Province/Out-of-Territory and Foreign Studies

Part 2 – Summary of Course Content

This section contains descriptions that facilitate the comparison of courses provided in various jurisdictions. These descriptions assist teachers, guidance counsellors, and school administrators in assessing the proper placement of students who have moved from another province or territory. Outlines are provided for both required and elective courses in core academic subject areas for the 2008-2009 school year. The name of each course is followed by the abbreviation and course code, as they would appear on a student's transcript. Because curriculum is constantly evolving, the courses described are subject to change during a given school year.

Course organization and categories of subject areas vary across jurisdictions. Credits obtained in one jurisdiction may not have a direct equivalency in another. This is because the courses described in this document do not always have the same yearly or course divisions, nor the same sequence of topics. Nonetheless, the content covered may be very similar across jurisdictions by the time a student has completed secondary school. The person placing a student may have to assess whether the student would be better served by a placement involving some gaps in course content or by one that would result in some duplication.

Course-content information for each jurisdiction is generally organized under the following headings. Headings for language courses may vary slightly among jurisdictions.

  12.  English (First Language)
  13.  French (First Language)
  14.  English (Second/Additional Language)
  15.  French (Second/Additional Language)
  16.  French (Immersion)
  17.  Mathematics
  18.  Science
  19.  Social Studies
  20.  Other Courses

Contact information for each jurisdiction is also provided.

Some jurisdictions are still updating their specific sections, which will be integrated into the Student Transfer Guide as soon as they become available. To download Secondary Education in Canada: A Student Transfer Guide 2008-2009, click on the name of the jurisdiction you need: