Why is school important?

It helps you:

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses
• Get a fulfilling job one day
• Learn about and understand the world around you
• Master essential skills (reading, writing, and math) that will help you become more self-sufficient
• Build, make, and experience
• Push yourself and take on new challenges
• Develop your autonomy
• Meet new people and build lifelong friendships
• Learn to accept differences and become more open-minded
• Learn to articulate your ideas, opinions, and emotions
• Meet inspiring role models and forge your own identity
• And much more that you’ll discover throughout your education!

French is the official language of Quebec, the language in which our laws are written. It also forms the foundation of our culture. It’s a language that people use every day in individual and group settings.
 
French is useful in everyday life because it helps you:

• Communicate more clearly (which promotes harmonious relationships)
• Make arguments, develop your opinions, and get your point across (which helps you defend your rights, make requests, etc.)
• Use more precise language (which makes it easier to do online research, make yourself understood quickly, and express yourself when speaking or writing)
• Develop intelligence, conceptualization and abstraction skills, the ability to articulate ideas, etc. (which facilitates an understanding of others, of who we are, and of life in general)
• Verbalize and understand your emotions (which facilitates inner balance)

In short, one of the goals of school is to teach students like you to read, write, and speak well enough to communicate with other members of society. After all, communication is key to living in harmony with others!
 
Browse our collection of French help resources.

​Mathematics has a very important place in education. But how is it used in everyday life and in the professional world?
 
In everyday life, math is useful for the following:

• Developing logical thinking skills
• Making a budget
• Doing renovations and construction work
• Solving any type of problem that involves multiple variables
• Calculating percentages
• Calculating distances and lengths of time (very useful when you’re travelling!)
• Assessing risk
• Determining quantity/price ratios
• Calculating salaries
• Understanding taxes
• Cooking
• Etc.

Math skills are an important asset for many jobs! Here are some examples:

• Insurance: Statistics are used in insurance. Math skills are also needed to manage finances and savings in relation to insurance products and to create databases.
• Banking: In banking, math is used when creating databases, assessing financial risks, and controlling the market for transactions on the stock exchanges.
• Marketing: In marketing, statistics are used to measure audiences for advertisers and advise companies by creating computer tools (such as software), for example.
• Engineering: Numerous mathematics-based engineering and technological innovations are making transportation, structures, and buildings more reliable, environmentally friendly, and efficient.
• Energy: The energy sector relies heavily on research and development. People who work in this sector do everything possible to help us save energy and develop renewable energies such as solar and wind power.
• IT: Computer science and mathematics are closely related because of the way programming works. Programming relies on algorithms that are often used to perform calculations that are too complex for the human brain.

Many other professionals use math in their day-to-day lives, too: business managers, accountants, doctors, pharmacists, astronauts, restaurant owners, sports coaches, cabinetmakers, biologists . . . In short, almost every profession uses mathematics on a small or large scale!
 
Browse all our math help resources.

Nowadays, the idea that science is only for scientists and engineers is outdated. An informed citizen needs to have the knowledge and skills to make educated decisions about their own life and the lives of those around them, especially when it comes to health and the environment.

By teaching you to observe the phenomena around you, gather evidence, and draw conclusions, science class helps develop your reasoning skills and curiosity. 

Here are a few examples:

• Science allows you to understand the world. When you explore and learn about the laws governing the universe, you gain a better understanding and appreciation of nature and the relationship that living things have with their environment and each other.
• Science helps you think critically. When you think like a scientist—that is, when you question situations and think of new approaches—you develop the reasoning skills to become an informed person who can make smart decisions.
• Science helps you develop strong research skills. In science class, you learn to hypothesize, collect data, evaluate statements, look at results from previous studies, look for similarities, etc. 

Browse our science help resources.

Essentially, history and geography help you understand the world you live in and be a more active member of society.

In history class, you learn to document information, question the information you are given, and improve your critical thinking skills. Seeking to understand the past helps you become more confident and credible when articulating your opinions, defend your rights and freedoms, and find your place in the society in which you live. That’s no small thing!
 
Studying history also allows you to understand the contributions previous generations made to build the world we live in today—how they paved the way for you and helped shape the unique features of our society. When you realize this, you will also understand your own power as an individual and the legacy you can leave for the generations that come after you.
 
Studying history helps us:

• Shape our collective memory
• Better understand the past and the present
• Understand what it means to belong to a people, to a community
• Learn about a wide variety of civilizations and time periods
• Develop tolerance
• Learn to analyze situations and documents
• Develop reflection and critical thinking skills
• Understand politics and the economy
• Develop a social conscience
• Become informed citizens
• Etc.

Browse all our history help resources.

Because geography examines inhabited areas and the lifestyles of the people who live there, it provides a wealth of information that relates to international understanding, multicultural concerns, economic concerns related to the environment, and environmental education. Studying geography helps us gain insight into the spaces and lands we inhabit and understand how the physical environment has a significant impact on human behaviour.

In short, studying geography helps you:

• Become aware of the impact of humans on the Earth
• Understand the space available to humans
• Understand the international economy
• Understand the diversity of human activities and the problems these activities create
• Think about major global issues
• Read maps correctly
• Understand how the distribution of wealth is related to land and colonization
• Interpret information on a local and global geographic scale
• Critically analyze current events of local, national, and international importance
• Etc.

Browse all our geography help resources.

Mastering English adds a string to your bow and opens the door to a wealth of future opportunities.

More and more jobs require partial or total mastery of English. In addition to being the mother tongue of hundreds of millions of people around the world, English is the most widely used language in many fields, such as science, tourism, business, finance, aeronautics, video games, food service, and IT. In an increasingly globalized economy, English is more than ever a passport to your professional future.

Learning English also makes an incredible amount of information accessible. University students are often required to read texts in English, which is why some are required to take a language test before entering higher education programs (e.g., master’s degree).

In short, studying English allows you to:

• Become more independent and self-sufficient when travelling
• Broaden your cultural horizons
• Watch TV shows and movies in the original English
• Access documents and literature not translated into French
• Improve your chances of getting a job
• Improve your proficiency in your own language (it’s been proven that learning another language system helps you better understand your own)
• Learn about other cultures
• Etc.

 
Browse all our English help resources.

Physical education class helps you develop physical skills, of course. But it also helps with social skills (team games force you to constantly think about what other people are doing). As you’ll see, physical education is about much more than just sports!
 
Following the rules of a sport or game requires you to be flexible and adaptable. These are two great qualities that will help you stand out in many other contexts (teamwork, in your future workplace, etc.).
 
Physical activity helps reduce health problems such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. In addition, according to some studies, physical education improves academic performance. It’s no surprise that it’s a part of the school curriculum.
 
Lastly, the health education component of physical education class teaches students about healthy habits. It deals with major issues in our modern society like drug use and poor eating habits, along with the associated risks. This knowledge will make you more informed and knowledgeable.
 
Physical education class helps you:

• Manage your stress better
• Get your mind off your worries
• Increase your flexibility
• Avoid certain injuries
• Improve your interpersonal skills
• Make smart food choices
• Make educated life choices
• Learn new sports
• Learn about your physical strength
• Develop your self‑confidence
• Etc.

A comprehensive education will introduce you to a variety of artistic disciplines. Imagination and creativity are essential components of the educational process. Like memory, they need to be practised, developed, and enriched.

The visual arts provide an opportunity to express yourself (and your unique perspective) in an open setting, without restrictions, and in your own language. By combining your logical side, your emotional side, and your ability to draw on your personal experiences to imagine and invent, you will be able to build your understanding of who you are and how you see the world.

The visual arts are useful for a number of reasons. Among other things, they allow you to:

• Improve your analytical skills
• Discover universal cultural references
• Make space to dream
• Develop your emotional intelligence
• Interpret symbols
• Stimulate your imagination
• Discover artists with inspiring talent
• Define yourself as a unique human being
• Find your place in the cultural community
• Develop a strong relationship with art and culture

Music is also an elective offered by Quebec schools. Learning to play a musical instrument is a tall order. It’s a workout for your brain because playing an instrument involves multiple skills that activate different senses (sight, hearing, and touch).

Music class helps you:

• Improve your concentration
• Exercise your memory
• Express your emotions
• Communicate with others
• Improve your listening skills
• Be a better team player
• Improve your self-confidence
• Develop your emotional intelligence
• Improve your patience
• Refine your critical thinking skills and judgment
• Broaden your cultural horizons
• Reduce stress
• Build strong bonds with other people