How to Choose the Best School for Your Child?
There is a school for every child: each school has its own character. You just need to find the one where your child can thrive.
There is a school for every child: each school has its own character. You just need to find the one where your child can fully thrive.
In 2026, the options offered by secondary schools, whether private or public, are vast. The programs are too. How do you choose the best secondary school?
It’s not always easy for a parent to guide their child through the wide range of offerings. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Pre-selection ahead of open houses
The first step is always communication. Talk with your child to see how they envision starting secondary school.
Many schools offer one or two open house days, usually held in the fall. This is the perfect opportunity to discover and explore the schools that interest you. Here is an article to help you prepare your visits (with a handy list of questions to ask…).
How to choose a secondary school?
Your pre-teen has their own personality; stay open and listen to their needs, interests, dreams, what motivates them, and what scares them. You can of course talk with them, but you can also pay close attention to their favourite games, books, movies, and shows… wonderful clues toward activities that might motivate them in secondary school. Do they avidly read the “Amos Daragon” series? A school with a book or writing club could appeal to them. Do they love building obstacle courses in your backyard? An institution offering outdoor activities could be a great motivator.
Trust your instincts
You’ve shopped around, analyzed, compared. But your instinct remains a valuable ally for making the final decision. Your conversations with teachers and educators at the various schools you’ve visited, the feeling your child had during visits, the atmosphere conveyed by schools through their communications, the testimonials you’ve heard… all of this gives you clues for choosing your child’s school.
Why choose a private school?
Whether public or private, there is a school (and programs!) for every young person.
Let’s first try to better define what a private school is: “A private school is an autonomous school. It reports directly to the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur (MEES) and does not depend on a school board” — Federation of Private Educational Institutions. The vast majority of private schools in Quebec are non-profit organizations, as is the case for Collège St-Jean-Vianney.
Quebec’s private schools offer several advantages:
- Personalized supervision and follow-up: In many private schools, supervision is truly personalized according to each student’s needs, strengths, and challenges. There is often talk of a family spirit in private schools.
- Many student services: Cafeteria, library, health office, IT services, guidance counsellors, youth workers, learning specialists, etc. Private schools invest heavily in developing tailored student services to support each young person throughout their secondary education.
- Close relationship with administration: Private school administrations maintain close ties with parents, particularly through parent committees. Have a question, a concern, or need advice? Administration teams are involved, proactive, and the structure of private schools allows them to be creative and respond quickly to any situation.
- Fast, direct, and detailed communication: Whether through the portal, website, social media, or newsletters for parents, private schools make it a point of honour to keep parents informed quickly and efficiently.
- A strong sense of belonging: Just ask the alumni who remain involved in their alma mater — the sense of belonging within private schools is very strong.
- A high success rate: Supervision, high-level teaching, and services offered to students are some of the ingredients that contribute to the high success rate at many private schools. Parent satisfaction with private schools is also very high.
School rankings: the "best" school or the "best school for your child"?
It is tempting to make a decision based on numerical and definitive factors. The Fraser Institute’s annual ranking is widely publicized in the media every year. However, the authors are unanimous: “The choice of a school should not be based on a single source of information. [...] effective programs in academic and extracurricular areas not evaluated in the Report Card should complement a good academic program.” Word of mouth is a great way to hear testimonials about schools. What defines the “best” school is not based solely on a score, a reputation, or a single factor. The best school will be the one where your child can fully realize their potential and feel at home.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions
Need more details about a specific aspect of the school? The team of educators will be happy to answer (and yes, even in the summer, many schools have staff on site!). There are no bad questions! If you have specific concerns about your child, professionals can advise you and direct you to the appropriate services.
