With access to six universities and twelve junior colleges in an 8 kilometre (5 mi) radius, Montreal, Quebec (Canada) has the highest proportion of post-secondary students of all major cities in North America. This represents roughly 248,000 post-secondary students, one of the largest numbers in the world.
High school graduates who wish to go on to university must first complete two years of college (as an alternative, some students spend two years in American prep school)
Currently 17 school districts are secular and based on linguistic communities:
Prior to 1998 school districts were formed on religious lines, with the school boards having both Francophone and Anglophone schools:
Montreal also has French-language and English-language private schools. Anglophone private schools receiving subsidies from the provincial government must abide by the French Language Charter and restrict enrollment of students to eligible parties.[5]
The Montreal Hoshuko School, a Japanese language supplemental school, holds its classes at the Trafalgar School for Girls.[6]
The Chinese language supplemental school JiaHua School of Montreal (French: École JiaHua de Montréal, simplified Chinese: 佳华学校; traditional Chinese: 佳華學校; pinyin: Jiā Huá Xuéxiào) operates in Montreal. As of 2004 it has 800 students, who attend francophone and anglophone day schools, and 51 teachers. It offers mathematics, French, and English remedial classes in addition to Chinese classes. Most of the teachers are parents who have university degrees; they volunteer at the school.[7]
