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Affordable Private School Montreal

6K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  FelixMom 
#1 ·
Hi All

I will be living in Montreal with my 3rd grade daughter in March 2010. I was told I can enroll her in french public school as a foreigner and pay almost 2500 for the remainder of the school year.

I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for an affordable private school..preferably english but french will be ok because she will attend French school eventually.

Currently in the USA I pay Monthly for a private christian school $500 a month for great education.

Thanks in Advace
 
#2 ·
I am assuming that your DD speaks French already?

The way the school system works in Quebec is tricky thanks to language laws. If your DC has been schooled elsewhere in English, or you or your DP have (or you have the certificate from the QC govt) your child can attend English school - private or public. If not, your child must attend French school -again, private or public. Here is the link to the EMSB (English Montreal School Board): http://www.emsb.qc.ca/en/index_en.asp I am unfortunately only aquainted (through teacher-friends, and friends' children) with English private schools at the upper end of the tuition scale, so I won't include links for those.

French public school is free (as is English public school) so you would not be paying $2500. Here is the link for French schools: http://www.csdm.qc.ca/#

There is a wide range of fees for French private schools. For instance, Académie Michèle-Provost http://www.academiemicheleprovost.qc.ca/is one of the less expensive ones. Something like les Marcellines: http://villa.marcelline.qc.ca/frais_scolarite.html or Villa Maria: http://www.villamaria.qc.ca/ is more expensive.

Also, entrance into private schools in Montreal and certain public schools is highly competitive, so I would do some research and calling around. The concept of the neighborhood public school in the US is not the same here. It might be difficult to get your DD in part-way through the year whether you go public or private. The schools I linked are all in the general downtown area, but there are tons of schools all over the island. Think about where you're going to live, and check out what's closest to you first. Some public schools require kids to go home for lunch, so if you're working FT this may not be a good arrangement for you. Another question to ask when checking schools out.

By grade 3, English or French, there will be a lot of immersion in the other language. In fact, many kids will already have been exposed to the other language so your DD might be at a disadvantage if she has not been. Another question to ask in your research.

HTH!
 
#3 ·
I did a lil more calling and it was confirmed that if she goes public... then it must be French. They are charging me the money because her immigration paperwork will not be complete and she will be classified as a foreign/intl student.

The director of the French immersion program said that she will have to attend a school not in the neighborhood and will be in a class with other non-french speakers that will primarily focus on the french language and math.

I am calling the schools you listed when I arrive in a few weeks.
So I'm still trying to get a nice list of private schools as an alternative plan.
 
#4 ·
DS1 currently attends an EMSB school, and he regularly has classmates that are foreigners whose parents are here for short-term research projects with the various universities here.

Your child can attend english public school if you can prove that you are not here to eventually become landed immigrants. If the parent(s) is/are bringing the child here temporarily, and can prove that they have a contract of less than 3 yrs duration, this option may be open to you. Call EMSB to find out details pertaining to your situation.

Also, EMSB schools offer bilingual and immersion options. It's rare to find a 100% anglophone public school, given that instruction in any second language confers benefits.

Good luck!
 
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