Education is within provincial jurisdiction, and there is significant variation within the Canadian federation. Mandatory enrollment ages range from age 5 to 7, with most provinces having a December 31st grade cut-off.
BC-- 5
Alberta--6
Saskatechewan--7
Manitoba--7
Ontario--6
Quebec--5
Nova Scotia--5
New Brunswick--5
PEI--6
Newfoundland--5
Quebec and Ontario offer a version of junior kindergarten, which begins at 4. Ontario recently implemented full-day kindergarten, after offering half-days to 4 year olds. This has been perceived as a substitute for subsidized public daycare, rather than a beginning of academic education.
It's interesting to see that the Prairie provinces--Saskwatchewan and Manitoba--have the highest enrollment ages. Perhaps this is reflective of the farming legacy of the region, where children were historically involved in family farming.
Overlaid over this are a pastiche of homeschooling regulations, ranging from almost unregulated (Ontario) to tacitly outlawed (Quebec). For full disclosure, we are leaning toward homeschooling DS when he turns 4, playing 5 by ear, and potentially enrolling him in a private gifted school at 6. Of course, we all know how much--and how quickly-- "optimal" can change for these children!
Last edited by aquinas; 09/26/14 09:34 AM.
