Vancouver

Education

The Vancouver School Board, overseeing the largest school district in British Columbia, is responsible for the operation and administration of the city's primary and secondary schools, as well as its adult education programs. Children over the age of seven and under the age of 15 are required to attend school. The school year begins the day after Labour Day for primary, junior, and senior high schools. A school day usually runs from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Monday through Friday.

Vancouver's first public school, Granville School, opened on the shores of the Burrard Inlet in 1872. Today, there are more than 56,000 students enrolled in Vancouver's 73 elementary schools, 18 primary annexes, and 18 secondary schools.

The board has a yearly operating budget of over $350 million and employs more than 3,200 teachers. Reflecting the multicultural make-up of the city, Vancouver schools have the highest percentage of English as a Second Language (ESL) students in the province, who represent more than 100 different language groups. Continuing education programs administered by the board are attended by more than 80,000 adults each year.

The University of British Columbia, only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, is home to the Museum of Anthropology, the Chan Centre for the Arts, and the UBC Botanical Garden. The university opened its doors in 1915 with three faculties: Arts and Science, Applied Science, and Agriculture. Enrollment has grown from a meager 379 students in 1915 to 51,227 in 1998. Simon Fraser University serves 17,000 students with more than 100 programs. The main campus is located on top of Burnaby Mountain, only 13 kilometers (eight miles) from Vancouver, with a satellite campus at Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver. In addition, there are numerous private schools, colleges, and universities in the Greater Vancouver region.