adj. — Education
designating educational resources funded by the government.
COD-2 lists public school as a school that is part of the public school system, which is defined as "a system of publicly-funded non-denominational schools" (see COD-2, s.v. "public school system"), and both terms are marked "Cdn" (see COD-2, s.v. "public school" (2), which is marked "Cdn (Ont.)", and "public school system", which is marked "Cdn"). According to OED-3, the term public school, in the same meaning, "was used in New England and Pennsylvania from the 17th cent., and became the standard term in all the states" (see OED-3, s.v. "public school" [3.a]"). OED-3 also notes that the term is in use "in some countries of the former British Empire, notably Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa" (see OED-3, s.v. "public school" (3.c)). Canadian quotations fall under this meaning. As US attestations listed in the OED date as far back as 1636 and up to 1991, indicating current use, it seems unlikely that the term is a Canadianism. The term also appears in DAE with the earliest quotation from 1636 (see DAE, s.v. "public school" [1]), DA dating to 1636 (see DA, s.v. "public school" [1]), AND dating to 1813 (see AND, s.v. "public school" [1]), and DNZE with the first quotation from 1813 (see DNZE, s.v. "public school") .