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In Alberta, there are 3 kinds of school authorities: Public, Catholic (or separate) and Francophone.
From Kindergarten through Grade 12, they all provide a high-quality, publicly financed education to pupils (generally children from about age 5 to about age 18) based on the same provincial curriculum while providing a diverse range of educational opportunities.
With about 106,000 students in 212 schools, this is Edmonton's largest public school district. Its boundaries are the same as the boundary of the City of Edmonton. Edmonton Public Schools admits any student who lives in Edmonton.
With 43,000 pupils in 96 schools, Edmonton Catholic Schools is the city's second-largest publicly financed school system. Its boundaries are the same as the City of Edmonton's boundaries.
With 3,700 pupils in 19 schools dispersed across a vast area of north-central Alberta, Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord (CSCN) is Edmonton's smallest publicly financed school authority. Edmonton has eight of these schools.
Alberta allows for a limited number of Charter schools. These are publicly funded schools run by a non-profit organization that reports directly to the Province of Alberta. They are outside the authority of any provincial school district (such as the Edmonton Public School Board). There are 3 Charter Schools in Edmonton. A complete list of Charter Schools is available from the Alberta Ministry of Education.
Provincially, about 5% of the K-12 student population is educated in a private school setting. Private schools are provincially regulated but not obligated to teach the provincial curriculum. Many of them serve particular linguistic, cultural and faith communities. They are all free to charge tuition. The Association of Independent Schools and Colleges in Alberta has information on private school options in and around Edmonton.
Alberta schools are recognized internationally for their excellence according to the Programme for International Student Assessment by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Within these school systems, parents and students are offered many choices in programs. Living within a given school boundary gives parents the right to enroll their children in that local school, but they have the option of sending their children to other schools that offer specialized programs.
In addition to offering the provincially mandated curriculum, these schools offer enriched programs in academics, instruction in a variety of languages, sports academies and schools dedicated to the performing arts, to name a few.
All 3 publicly funded school authorities are committed to the principle of inclusion: accommodating differences in students’ abilities to communicate, to learn and to adapt to life in the classroom.
They all employ or are prepared to employ a variety of different resources (including teaching aids and specialized learning programs) to ensure that all children who are enrolled in their district receive the best education possible.
Explore all of the Edmonton and Region learning opportunities at: Alberta Learning Information Services (ALIS).