Newcomers

• Are you a newcomer or are you thinking of moving to Ontario?
• School system in Ontario
• Enrolment process
• Programs for newcomers

Are you a newcomer or are you thinking of moving to Ontario?

Welcome to Ontario’s French-language education website, and welcome to Ontario! In this section, you will find all the information you need regarding Ontario’s French-language education network of childcare services, schools, colleges and universities. You will also find links to other useful information that will help you integrate more easily into your new community.

Moving to a new country or province presents many challenges: finding housing, work, a school for your children....
While this requires a lot of effort, all of these challenges also represent necessary steps to help you get integrated into your chosen community.

The governments of Canada and Ontario offer a wide variety of resources to help you find the information you need and ease your adaptation process.

Regardless of where you are right now, you will find a wealth of information on our site about the process of settling in Ontario and, more specifically, about French-language education for your children.

School system in Ontario

Ontario’s French-language education system boasts an excellent reputation. We offer continuous education services from early childhood to the postgraduate level.

Ontario’s education system is publicly funded and serves both the English- and French-language communities, as French and English are the two official languages. In addition, Ontario’s population has access to Catholic and public schools. More than 430 Catholic and public schools offer elementary and secondary education to all regions of the province.

Comparison table

To help you gain a better understanding of Ontario’s education systems, the following table shows some comparisons with European school systems, which also apply to several countries in Africa and elsewhere.

Follow these links for more information on:

• - Daycare
• - Elementary schools
• - Secondary schools
• - Post-secondary institutions

The province of Ontario possesses a complete network of French-language colleges and bilingual universities, which are open to everyone:

• - two French-language colleges of applied arts and technology: Cité collégiale and Collège Boréal;
• - six bilingual universities: University of Ottawa, Saint Paul University, Laurentian University, University of Sudbury, Hearst University, and Glendon College;
• - three other establishments offering post-secondary programs in French: Institut d’études pédagogiques de l’Ontario de l’Université de Toronto (IÉPO), Dominican University College and Alfred Campus (University of Guelph).

Enrolment process

Ontario’s French-speaking population is in constant evolution. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education’s French-Language Policy and Programs Branch has broadened and simplified its policy for enrolment in French-language schools.

For more information, please refer to the following documentation:

• French-Language Schools Open Doors to New Students, available in the following eight languages: English   Français   ربي‎    Español    Kreyòl    Lingala     Kiswahili     Tiếng Việt
• Policy Statement and Guidelines on the Admission, Welcoming, and Support of Students in French-Language Schools in Ontario

Programs for newcomers

French-Language Education in Ontario is a leading organization renowned for its innovative programs and services.
To ensure newly arrived students are perfectly integrated, French-Language Education in Ontario provides the following tools and resources.

The Programme d’actualisation de la langue française (ALF)

The Programme d’appui aux nouveaux arrivants (PANA)

The PANA is designed for newly arrived students and allows them to familiarize themselves with their new environment: http://www.elfontario.ca/en/programs-and-services.html. It introduces them to Canadian society and addresses their individual needs in terms of writing, reading and speaking skills.