UK nurse need some advise

[hugeviper]

I am soon be going and working in Alberta, and am planning to take my family with me. I will be going with a temporary work permit and hopefully will apply for a permanent residence.

I got 2 children and my eldest will be 6 in July (he's already in school here in the UK). Anybody out there who knows if my child will receive free education when we get there? If I have to pay for his education (because I'm still not a Canadian resident/immigrant), how much will it cost me?

Anyone share the same situation?

[Fiona59]

At the ripe old age of six, he'll be assigned to first grade come September. School runs September to June.

Depends on which school district you live in for times and any applicable fees. We educate refugees children for free, but I do know some school districts accept overseas children at a fee but these children usually come from Asia and live with host families.

Your best bet is to contact the school board in the city where you will be working.

School fees here in the early years can be applied to bussing, lunch supervision if your child stays and eats his lunch at school. There are no school dinners that you would be used to. Your child brings lunch to school. Some schools run milk concessions where cold milk can be purchased daily. There are usually "hot lunch" days when you pre-order pizza or chicken, but these are held about once a month as a fund raiser and organized by the parent council.

There are no school uniforms.

Fundraising by parents is the norm in some areas. Working in casino's or bingo halls to raise funds for the library, etc. I refuse to do these, as were are a very wealthy province and I feel that the government should pay for libraries, computer software, etc. School taxes are paid if you own property.

If you are Catholic your child can attent public Catholic school and their fees are a bit of a mystery to me.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

i did a little checking for you on the government of alberta website http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/ and this is what i came up with. it's at least a start for you...

i entered canada as a visitor and have applied for permanent resident status. do my minor children require a study permit to attend school in alberta?

yes, your children would require study permits to attend school until your application for permanent residency is processed if you entered canada as a visitor. please visit citizenship and immigration's website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/permit-who.html

for information on study permit requirements and application forms.

i am a newcomer to alberta. how do i enroll my minor child in school?

when it comes to selecting a school, parents and students can choose from a wide range of options. check with your local school board to find out which schools in your area, if any, offer the types of programs and services you want (for example, english as a second language classes or instruction in languages other than english). additional information on alberta's education system and enrollment is available here: http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/welcometoalberta/abeducsystem.asp

(i tried this url and got an error message.)

i am a temporary resident of alberta. do i have to pay international student fees for my minor children attending school in alberta?

in alberta, 'temporary resident' is defined under the guidelines to section 8 of the school act to determine the assessment of international student fees for minor children. check with your local school board as to whether you meet this definition.