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Comparing American and Canadian Highschools

By Teague Neal and Stefan Koski

Vast amounts of information, close friendships and family span both countries, and both sets of secondary students alike discuss and wonder about the high schools of the other. However, there is very little analyzing done of the similarities and differences between the high schools of the United States and Canada.

The best way to figure out the differences between American and Canadian high schools is to ask students from each country some basic questions about their schools, and then compare the responses from one country with those of the other. For the article students were surveyed from across America and Canada by Tattoo staff Canadian Teague Neal of Oakville, Ontario (outside Toronto) and American Stefan Koski of Terryville, Connecticut (outside Hartford).

How many classes do you have?
America: Most students in America have seven or eight classes daily.

Canada: Certain Canadian secondary school students must have four classes a day in grades 9 and 10 mainly. Most senior students in grades 11 and 12 have between 2-4 classes. Once you reach grade 11 in Canada you can usually have your lunch period as well as one or two spare periods. That said those in grades 11 and 12 on average have between 2-4 classes depending upon their personal timetables.

Some secondary school systems have a similar system to our American neighbors with seven or eight classes daily that are on a rotation schedule. This varies by school board and each province and territory is made up of a combination of the two systems.

How long is your school day? From what time to what time is your school day?
America: The average school day is between six and eight hours long, usually somewhere between seven in the morning until three in the afternoon.

Canada: The Canadian school day runs for between five to seven hours in length with the morning bell ringing to start school around eight in the morning until around three in the afternoon.

How many days of school you have?
America: While public schools are required to have at least 180 days of school, parochial and private schools can vary greatly. Some have as much as 286 days of school each year.

Canada: The provincial government’s education department determines the number of mandatory days of school. These vary from Yukon’s minimum of 178 days to Saskatchewan’s mandatory 197 days of school each year.
Nunavut is the exception - in the north the minister of education lays down the law like the rest of Canada. However, this is decided on a community-to-community basis. This is due to the fact that the number and timing of daylight hours is unique to certain communities across the vast territory.

How long are each of your classes?
America: Most classes are between forty and fifty minutes long.

Canada: The length of class changes once you complete grade 8. Middle school, made up of grades 6, 7 and in a handful of provinces grade 8, classes are around 50 minutes in length. High school classes generally last between 1 hour 15 minutes, and up to 1 hour 40 minutes.

When is homeroom?
America: While some schools don’t have homeroom, or don’t have homeroom for upperclassmen, those that do usually have them for five to ten minutes in the morning before school starts, or just before lunch midway through the school day.

Canada: Homeroom is not common in Canada, though the same system is followed in middle school as American schools except that there is also homeroom after school (in addition to the morning), and you eat your lunch in homeroom. Homeroom lasts around 20 minutes.

Once you reach high school homeroom is non-existent, though your first period class is considered your homeroom. Instead of getting together daily, every few weeks the homeroom gets together. On those days the other classes are shortened to create a 40-minute period where guidance, goal setting and teamwork related activities are conducted. The homeroom also meets several times a year to collect report cards and special notices.

How much gym are you required to take?
America: Perhaps due to the problem with people being overweight in America, almost all high schools have some sort of physical education requirement – whether in the form of a gym class or a sport. While the requirement is composed of a certain number of credits, they usually equate to two or three years of high school physical education, generally during freshman, sophomore, and junior year.

Canada: In Canada high school students only need to obtain 1 gym credit which is generally taken in grade 9, though special arrangements can be made to take it later on in high school if you are awaiting for a special substitute subject to take place. These subjects are usually only offered every second year due to budget constraints and may include swimming or weightlifting class. Another alternative to traditional gym is a fitness class that has students participate in physical activity, including alternate activities such as hikes and rock climbing. These days rotate around with some classes spent inside a classroom learning about a variety of subjects related to healthy living. Once you have your single credit gym becomes completely optional.

How many different subjects can you take for college credit?
America: This varies greatly from school to school. Some have very few or none while others have quite a variety. They include subjects in English, math, history, art, science, and computer science.

Canada: The assortment and number of college level credits varies across Canada. However, college credits in Canada are only one of three options with essential credits being one notch down and university credits being one notch up. Nonetheless the college credits that are offered in Canadian high schools include an array of subjects that can include any of the following:
Math, English, French, Science (including biology, chemistry and physics), hospitality courses, a host of business courses, various health and child care courses, psychology, manufacturing and design classes and communications.

What do you think about the level of education at your school?
America: This is another question that varies depending on who you ask. While some students feel that their school maintains a very high level of education, others feel that the standard of learning is only average or adequate, and that their schools don’t prepare students to their full potential.

Canada: Differing opinions are voiced on this subject by Canadian teens. Some students think that their school’s quality of education is very high creating a sense of pride for the teachers there. Some students believe that the quality of teaching is only mediocre at best. Other students believe that their school only excels in either technology-based classes but not on academics. This creates a sense of stress and lack of attention for those students not interested in pursuing a trade-based career.

What kind of sports do you have?
America: While the number of sports that a school offers greatly depends on budget and the size of the student body, some core sports include volleyball, basketball, wrestling, soccer, track and field, golf, cheerleading, baseball, and cross country. Others include football, dance, water polo, swimming, bowling, tennis, lacrosse, softball, mountain biking, ultimate Frisbee, hockey, hiking, snowboarding, and skiing.

Canada: School’s roster of sports depends greatly on budget cuts, and the judgment and wealth of their provincial leaders. That aside sports that do take place in Canadian high school may include any of the following core sports: hockey, field hockey, basketball, baseball, volleyball, rugby, soccer, badminton, curling and cross country. Further sports include football, ping-pong, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, tennis and wrestling.

What kind of extracurricular activities do you have?
America: Most schools have certain clubs in common, such as a student council, National Honor Society, a yearbook committee, a school newspaper, the Future Business Leaders of America, Students Against Destructive Decisions, band and choir. Others have an Amnesty International chapter, some kind of ecology and conservation club, a government-oriented group (Youth and Government or Mock Trial), a drama club, speech club, Habitat for Humanity, HOPE and United Way Youth Board, robotics, IT Academy, an art club, a Christian focused organization of some sort, and other various clubs.

Canada: Common clubs include student council, athletic council, yearbook, band (including jazz), debate team and School REACH (trivia team). Others include drama, (who put on performances), Drama Council (manage all things Drama), marching band, some type of student led publication, environment based clubs, chess, a series of Canadian & international math and science contests, tech competitions, film festival, activity club, diversity council, math society, an Amnesty International chapter, Free the Children, HOPE, a Christian based club, web design club and much more.

What school holidays do you have off?
America: All American schools share the same set of holidays, including Labor Day (the first Monday in September), Columbus Day (October 12th) Election Day, Veteran’s Day (November 11th, originally Armistice Day post-World War I until after World War II when it was changed to honor all American veterans), Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Wednesday in November), Christmas (and often Christmas Eve as well), New Years, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (on the third Monday of January), President’s Day (honoring American presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on the third Monday in February), Western Good Friday and Western Easter, and Memorial Day (traditionally honored on May 30th, although it is often observed on the last Monday in May). However, the amount of time off for these holidays depends on the school.

While some schools have only three days off for Thanksgiving (on the day of Thanksgiving and two days afterwards), others have as much as ten. Christmas break also varies, sometimes being as short as a week and as long as three weeks. Depending on the student body and community, some schools also observe major Jewish holidays.

Other one-week vacation breaks may include the traditional Spring Break in March (primarily observed in American colleges, although this can be for the entire month), and a February break or April break during the third week of their respective months. Schools also have a summer vacation break that is usually between one and three months long, somewhere between May and August.

Students also often have teacher workshop days off, but the number of these also greatly varies from school to school.

Canada: A handful of main holidays are in place across the country that include Labor Day (the first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (the second Monday in October), Remembrance Day (November 11, in remembrance of Canada’s veterans and war dead), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day (December 26, originally created as a day of repose and to put out your boxes, which it still is - it’s also the day to hit the mall for great post-Christmas sales), New Years Eve, New Years Day, Western Good Friday, Western Easter, Easter Monday, Queen Victoria Day (officially May 24th, though it can change depending upon which day of the week it falls on in order to obtain a long weekend, to remember and celebrate all she did for England and Canada).

Thanksgiving is almost always a 4-day holiday with a Professional Development Day (a day that students have off and teachers and staff have workshops always on Friday) following the weekend, the regular weekend and then Thanksgiving Day on the Monday. Christmas break is nearly always right around 2 weeks in length for public schools. Most private schools enjoy a 3-week Christmas break that always includes Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Eve and Day.

In March public school students have a 9-day March break that is pretty consistent, with private schools having up to 18 days. Towards the end of May, Queen Victoria Day is nearly always a 4-day holiday with a P.D. Day being placed before the weekend, the regular weekend following and Victoria Day on the Monday (sometimes on May 24th). Summer vacation runs nearly always from around June 20th, with all exams finishing around June 28th, until around September 4th. Certain provinces and territories have their students begin summer at some point in May thus going back to school earlier at some point in August. Students have somewhere around four P.D. days when teachers & staff have workshops off. Additionally certain provinces have recently developed half days when students get out around 3 ½ hours earlier, though most students take the day off and teachers have workshops for part of the day.

What kind of tech programs do you have?
America: Tech programs in American schools include electives in art, woodshop, metalworking, radio and television, computer programming, web design, automotives, architecture, construction, culinary arts, agriculture, horticulture, manufacturing, and alternative energy programs. Some schools have all of these and more, some only have a few, and others don’t have any.

Canada: At some tech-based schools, including those in Ontario, ninth grade students take part in a compulsory tech rotation that includes four tech subjects of their choice to sample. This occurs second semester with each rotation approximately a month long. Technology programs in Canadian schools include the elective subjects of art, metal shop, wood shop, auto/car repair, manufacturing, construction, cooking, baking, robotics, computer programming, website design, and photography.


What kind of field trips do you have?
America: A common theme in American schools is that field trips are very limited. Destinations usually include zoos, science competitions, museums, farms, parks, state capitals, colleges, and plays. Specific sites depend on geographic location, but can include the capital of Washington D.C., Salem, Massachusetts (sight of the infamous witch trials of the sixteen hundreds), Ellis Island (where a lot of immigrants of the late eighteen and early nineteen hundreds came through when entering the country), Hershey Park, and Virginia Beach. Foreign language classes sometimes make trips to their respective countries – Spain for Spanish, France for French, and Frankenmuth (little Bavaria) for German.

Canada: Nearby field trips can be plentiful or limited depending on which community you live in. Field trips and places visited also depend in which part of Canada your school is located; these include plays, zoos, amusement parks (where bands perform then students are free to have fun), conservation areas, museums and art galleries. Trips within Canada are made to Vancouver and Victoria for bands, Canadian capitals including Regina and St. Johns for debate team finals and Edmonton for robotics competitions. Travel to the U.S includes band trips to Chicago, power cheerleading trips to Nashville, robotics competitions in Atlanta and Drama trips to New York City. Foreign trips include Japan, Cuba, Belgium, France and Switzerland. Canadian battlefield trips to Belgium, France and Holland are also organized as well as music trips to Prague and Austria among other places. This depends on what budget and resources your school has and the demographics of the district.

What kind of language classes do you have?
America: Besides the basic English classes that students are often required to take for a certain number of years, most schools also offer Spanish and French. Other schools offer German, Latin, Hebrew, and English as a second language.

Canada:
English classes at an essential, college or university level must be taken through to graduation. French Immersion has students taking half their classes in French, the other half of their choice in English. Most Canadian schools have some sort of French class to learn Canada’s second language. Other foreign language classes often include Spanish and in British Columbia and Alberta often include Chinese, Japanese and Korean. English as a second language is offered in many schools.

Do you have any foreign exchange student programs?
America: While it is not always technically an “exchange” per se, a lot of American schools play host to at least a few students from other countries, including ones from Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, South Korea, and the Middle East.

Canada: Schools in Canada are strong generally speaking in foreign exchanges and the municipal, provincial and federal governments all promote these and support them whole-heartedly. Exchanges include those with sister city relationships signed after WWII with Asia and Europe with China, Japan, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Costa Rica. Work programs where students help build houses and roads among other things to the Caribbean and Central America including Cuba, Costa Rica and Guatemala are organized in conjunction with schools often on March break. These programs widely vary depending on which school you are at and what relationships teachers and cities have with places afar. A wide variety of students study for periods of time at Canadian schools especially those from across Asia and Europe.


Do you have any other special programs?
America: This is another topic that greatly depends on the school. A lot of American schools tend to be very limited in the programs they offer, but those that do include opportunities for job shadowing, career preparation, and performance programs. Likewise, special education is often very limited, although most schools have some kind of special education program for the mentally retarded or a self-contained special education program.

Canada: Special programs can be plentiful or poor - it depends where you are. Those schools that do offer special programs include marvelous or mediocre special education programs including teacher assistants who assist those with special needs and learning disabilities with scribing, special photo copying, reading and much more who work often one-on-one or with a few students almost always in a regular class. Segregated classes are not encouraged and have for the most part been abolished in Canada over the years. Other programs include school alternatives where you go to hands-on outdoor-based leadership school for a semester, a year, or all of high school. These facilities often require application and sometimes additional fees. These students cook together, go on trips, and play games and experience an enriching hands-on program unlike classroom-based school.

What do you think about schools in other countries?
America: American students don’t often think about schools in foreign countries. Those that do feel that some are underprivileged, while others think they are much more formal and have a higher standard for education.

Canada: Canadian students for the most part are interested in foreign school especially those in England and France. They feel sorry for those in Third World countries including across Africa and some schools run book and clothing donation programs. Others feel that either countries have a higher or lower standard of education depending on which part of the globe you are speaking about. Some do not have much knowledge and don’t think about them.

What do you think of schools in America?
America: Most American students feel that schools in America are at least decent or adequate. Bright spots include the level of freedom of expression and a high level of education. Concerns consist mainly over issues of proper funding, subject areas that are too broad, and unqualified teachers.

Canada: There are two sides to this subject with praise and put downs that Canadian students say about American education. Students in Canada feel that Washington doesn’t put enough money into many schools causing students to suffer. A wide-spread comment is Canadians’ disgust for the arrogance, lack of knowledge and respect for Canada that at least a portion of the population shows in the U.S. Students also believe that school violence and school shootings are much more of an apparent problem in the United States, requiring more extensive security at American schools. There's also the belief that American schools have less opportunities available country-wide, specifically with tech, hands-on and alternative programs. Less support including special education services is also believed to be a problem.

The praise American high schools get is that their schools are similar, and that there’s not much difference making the two countries’ high schools. Others hold the belief that American schools have higher school spirit and involvement.

What do you think of schools in Canada?
America: While there’s a general void of knowledge when it comes to Canadian schools, opinions of American students range from apathy to casual disdain for Canada. Somehow, it’s really not all that surprising (all things considered).

Canada: Canadians can be either pleased with their places of education or can’t stand them. Canada’s high school students do appreciate and enjoy the wide variety of technological, foreign exchange, special education and alternative programs that many schools offer. The main issues that arise in conversation with Canadian teens are the many programs and classes including music and drama that have been cut due to poor management and budget cuts. Most students also hold hatred towards the standardized tests that have been employed over the past 10 years that several provinces, including Ontario, have added to their curriculums. They see them as a waste of time, money and resources. Money they would much rather see them put into fixing up the many aging, dirty schools and bringing back cut programs.

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