From Kindergarten to Grade 12, the school year begins in early June. The school year for college students starts in early September and ends in May. For university students, classes begin in mid-September and end at the end of April. All students have two weeks of holidays during Christmas and New Year, as well as one week of holiday in February or March. The Canadian education system aims to be student centred, that is, it focuses primarily on the needs of the students, and strives to meet those needs. In addition, some of the important goals of education include teaching children to be creative, to use critical thinking skills when solving problems, and to work both independently as well as in a team. Honesty and integrity are also highly valued in Canadian education, and offenders face very serious consequences. The classroom is an active place. Students are encouraged and expected to participate in class discussions and activities. The teacher plans his or her lessons so that each student can learn. This sometimes requires much adaptation in teaching methology, as the teacher endeavours to teach students in the way that they learn best.