Education in Canada Education has two main goals: to give individuals the opportunity to develop themselves, and to provide society with the skills it needs to evolve in its best interests. Canada's educational system is based on finding a coordinated approach to the pursuit of these sometimes conflicting goals. Comprehensive, diversified, and available to everyone, the system reflects the Canadian belief in the importance of education. Education in Canada consists of 10 provincial and two territorial systems, including public schools, "separate" (i.e., denominational) schools, and private schools. Children are required by law to attend school from the age of 6 or 7 until they are 15 or