Education

L'éducation

Updated February 28, 2010
Page révisée le 28 février 2010

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[ Related Links: See the Canadian Universities and Colleges page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/univbkmrk.htm ]

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NOTE: this page is arranged in reverse chronological order, for the most part...

Selected content from
The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

February 25, 2010
Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada
The February 2010 issue of Education Matters: Insights
on Education, Learning and Training in Canada contains two articles:
[Click the above link for summaries of the articles; click below for the actual articles.]
* Trends in the trades: Registered apprenticeship total registrations, completions and certification, 1991 to 2007
* Changes in participation in adult education and training, 2002 and 2008
Bonus in this issue:
Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP)
New Tables and Charts (February 2010)

[ earlier issues of this report ]

Related subjects
o Education, training and learning
o Fields of study
o Outcomes of education
o Students

January 29
Study: The financial impact of student loans
As tuition fees have risen, more students have relied on student loans to help finance their postsecondary education and debt loads have gone up. This situation in turn has had an impact on individual students' financial positions after graduation. This study, based on data from three different surveys, found that well over one-half (57%) of the graduating class of 2005 had student loans, up from 49% 10 years earlier. Average student debt on graduation rose from $15,200 to $18,800 during the same decade. Also, the proportion of borrowers who graduated with debt loads of at least $25,000 increased to 27% in 2005 from 17% in 1995.

The financial impact of student loans
* Highlights
* Full article:
HTML
PDF (220K, 14 pages)

Source:
January 2010 issue of
Perspectives on Labour and Income

Related subjects:
* Education, training and learning
* Fields of study
* Outcomes of education
* Income, pensions, spending and wealth
* Household assets, debts and wealth
* Household, family and personal income
* Labour
* Employment and unemployment

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Recent release from the
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation:

Students from lower-income families more likely to seek
post-secondary education as a result of new innovative programming
News Release
November 30, 2009
SRDC released a report which shows that offering career education and an early guarantee of financial aid to high school students can have significant impacts on their interest in post-secondary studies. The Future to Discover Interim Impacts Report provides the latest update on a project positioned to help Canada tackle two policy challenges it faces in the near future. These are the joint challenges of providing optimal futures to its less-advantaged youth, while overcoming a predicted shortage of skilled workers.

Complete report:

Future to Discover:
Interim Impacts Report (PDF - 4.5MB, 180 pages)
November 2009

Executive summary (1.4MB, 22 pages)
Future to Discover is a pilot project testing the effectiveness of two interventions designed to help students overcome certain barriers to post-secondary education, namely lack of career clarity, misinformation about post-secondary education, and lack of financial resources. This report presents interim impacts of the project, which has involved 5,429 students at 51 high schools in Manitoba and New Brunswick since 2004.

More about Future to Discover

Source:
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation
The Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) is a non-profit research organization, with offices in Ottawa and Vancouver, created specifically to develop, field test, and rigorously evaluate social programs. SRDC’s two-part mission is to help policy-makers and practitioners identify policies and programs that improve the well-being of all Canadians, with a special concern for the effects on the disadvantaged, and to raise the standards of evidence that are used in assessing policies.

Spending on students makes sense
Nick Falvo, vice-president of the Graduate Students’ Association,
says Drop Fees campaign crucial to ensuring education for all
By Nick Falvo, Vice-president (academic) of the Graduate Students’ Association
November 7, 2009
Students from across Ontario took to the streets Nov. 5 to fight for a fairer deal for post-secondary education. This is a struggle that students must fight to win, as decreasing government funding, rising tuition fees and a slumping economy continue to place university education out of reach for a growing number of Canadians. (...) Over the past several decades, senior levels of government in Canada have decreased funding for post-secondary education. Indeed, government grants as a share of university operating revenue in Canada decreased from 80 per cent to less than 57 per cent between 1986 and 2006. As a result, the share of university operating budgets funded by tuition fees has more than doubled during the same period (increasing from 14 to 29 per cent). To be sure, tuition has been rising at the same time that the economy has nosedived. This year, roughly 80 per cent of post-secondary students in Canada said they plan to work while in school. And 70 per cent of high school graduates who do not pursue post-secondary education cite financial reasons as the main factor.
Source:
The Charlatan - Carleton University's newspaper since 1945
[ Carleton University ]

Related link:

DROP FEES for a Poverty-Free Ontario
The Drop Fees campaign calls for changes to be made to current government post-secondary education policy that will positively benefit students and the sector in general.

From Statistics Canada:

October 20, 2009
University tuition fees, 2009/2010
Canadian full-time students in undergraduate programs faced the same increase in tuition fees (+3.6%) for the 2009/2010 academic year as they did a year earlier.

September 25, 2009
Study: Canadian nine-year-olds at school, 2006/2007
At the age of 9, children varied widely in their school achievement. Some of these variations were linked to their gender, the income level of their household and the province of residence. There were also marked differences in the "education environment" of the child. These differences were linked to levels of household income.
Report:
HTML
PDF (523K, 68 pages)
Source:
Children and Youth Research Paper Series
[ links to six reports in this series ]

Related subjects:
o Children and youth
o Child development and behaviour
o Education
o Education, training and learning

Student Aid Meets Social Assistance (PDF - 278K, 77 pages)
By Sherri Torjman
September 2009
This study explores the interaction between student aid and social assistance - the two main systems in Canada that provide financial support to post-secondary students. Both systems are complex in themselves because they are governed by a wide range of rules and regulations. Their complexity is exacerbated by the constitutional nature of Canada . This paper focuses on the interface issues because of an overriding concern: Students from low-income households are under-represented in the post-secondary educational system - particularly at the university level. They face multiple barriers, including information and motivational factors, to participation. Another major problem, not surprisingly, is their limited income and assets relative to the cost of post-secondary education.
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy
The Caledon Institute of Social Policy does rigorous, high-quality research and analysis; seeks to inform and influence public opinion and to foster public discussion on poverty and social policy; and develops and promotes concrete, practicable proposals for the reform of social programs at all levels of government and of social benefits provided by employers and the voluntary sector.

Recent education-related studies from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

Back to school – September 2009
It's that time of year again – back to school for tens of thousands of students from kindergarten to college and university, for their teachers and principals and for their families who are busy preparing for another school year. In honour of this annual ritual, we have put together a few facts and figures relating to education.
Source:
Education Matters: Insights on
Education, Learning and Training in Canada (Sept. 2009)

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September 8, 2009
Education indicators in Canada: An international perspective
Canada surpassed 23 of the 30 member nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2007 regarding the proportion of its population aged 25 to 64 that had a university degree. In Canada, as in other countries, employment rates were consistently higher among people with postsecondary education than among those without. Canada was also among the countries that allocated the highest proportions of gross domestic product (GDP) to education, placing it seventh highest among the OECD countries.

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July 13, 2009
University enrolment, 2007/2008
Just over 1,066,000 students were enrolled in Canadian universities during the academic year 2007/2008, up 0.6% from the previous academic year. This is a much slower rate of growth than the annual average increase of 2.9% since 1998/1999.
- includes three tables:
* University enrolment by registration status, program level and gender
* University enrolment by field of study and gender
* University enrolment by province and registration status

Related subjects
o Education, training and learning
o Fields of study
o Outcomes of education
o Students

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July 13, 2009
University degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded, 2007
About 241,600 students received a degree, diploma or certificate qualification from a Canadian university in 2007, a 6.9% increase from 2006. Over 80% of the increase occurred in Ontario. Nearly 61% of qualifications, or 146,700, were awarded to women, continuing a long-term trend in which female graduates outnumber their male counterparts and their proportion continues to increase.
- includes two tables:
* University qualifications awarded by program level and gender
* University qualifications awarded by field of study and gender

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April 22, 2009
National Graduates Survey, 2007
More than 80% of college and university students who graduated in 2005 and did not pursue further studies had found full-time employment by 2007. In general, earnings increased by level of study. In 2007, two years after graduation, just over one-quarter of those who owed student debt at the time they graduated had paid it off.
[ Graduating in Canada:
Profile, Labour Market Outcomes and Student Debt of the Class of 2005 ]

February 12, 2009
Study: Persistence in postsecondary education in Atlantic Canada, 2001/2002 to 2004/2005
Not all postsecondary students in Atlantic Canada remained at the same university or college until they graduated. Many of these students moved between institutions, and many others appeared to have temporarily suspended their postsecondary education for short periods.

Moving Through, Moving On: Persistence
in Postsecondary Education in Atlantic
Canada, Evidence from the PSIS
Executive summary (HTML)
Complete report (PDF - 604K, 91 pages)
By Ross Finnie and Theresa Qiu
February 2009
This report provides new and unique empirical evidence on Postsecondary Education (PSE) pathways in Atlantic Canada based on the Postsecondary Student Information System (“PSIS”).

November 3, 2008
Study: Leaving a postsecondary education without graduation, December 2005
The proportion of students who left their postsecondary studies without graduating for whatever reason, between 1999 and 2005, varied by type of educational institution.A group of Canadian students, who were between the ages of 18 and 20 in 1999, were interviewed about where they stood in their education and labour market pathways in December 2005 when they were between 24 and 26. Within the whole group, about 21% of these young adults who pursued postsecondary education had left their studies without graduating, as of December 2005.

Complete study:

Postsecondary education: Participation and dropping out:
Differences across university, college and other types of postsecondary institutions", January 2004 to December 2005 (PDF - 313K, 39 pages)
November 2008
The purpose of this paper is to capture and profile postsecondary education dropouts from three different types of postsecondary education – university, college and other types of institutions. It compares them with graduates from these three types of institutions.

Canada Education Savings Grant
"The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) is a grant from the Government of Canada paid directly into a beneficiary's Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). It adds 20 percent to the first $2,000 in contributions made into an RESP on behalf of an eligible beneficiary each year. This means the Grant can be as much as $400 each year per beneficiary and over the years could amount to a total of $7,200.
- incl. links to : E-Services * Frequently Asked Questions * General Information * Publications * Related Links

Registered Education Savings Plans (Canada Revenue Agency)
* Topics for RESPs * Who can be a subscriber? * Who can become a beneficiary? * Canada Education Savings Programs Provincial Education Savings Programs * Contributing to an RESP Payments from an RESP * How an RESP works * Special rules

Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation

Canada Learning Bond

Maclean's Ranking of Canadian Universities
"How grads grade their schools
More than 12,000 recent graduates delivered a report card on their university experience for our new survey."
- incl. overall rankings, profiles, graduate survey, helpful tools (University planner, RESP calculator, financial goal calculator), articles and utilities (RESPs, etc.)
Source:
Macleans on Campus
[ Maclean's Magazine ]

The Government of Canada tables Canada Education Savings Act, creating the Canada Learning Bond
News Release
October 8, 2004
"OTTAWA, ONTARIO—The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, tabled legislation in the House of Commons today to create the Canada Education Savings Act. The savings programs contained in the Act will help low- and middle-income families to begin saving for their children’s post-secondary education."
- incl. a backgrounder with more detailed info

Related Links:

Canada Education Savings Grant
"The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) program underscores government recognition that post secondary education is a national priority, and that learning through full and part-time study, and in a variety of settings, such as, universities, community colleges, vocational and technical institutes, and CEGEPs is vital in providing all Canadian children with an equal opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the challenges of an evolving workforce and a changing economy."

Source:
Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Canada Learning Bond (from the 2004 Federal Budget)

From Human Resources and Social Development Canada:

Returns to college education: evidence from the 1990, 1995, and 2000 National Graduates Survey
September 2006
Using data from the National Graduates Survey ant the Census, this research paper examines earnings of recent college graduates by field of study as well as estimates the internal rates of return to college education.
Table of Contents:
* Title Page * Executive Summary * Introduction * Literature Review * Data * Profile of College Graduates * An Overview of Earnings Trends * Earnings by Field of Study * College vs. University Earnings * Conclusions * References
* Appendix Tables

Returns to University Level Education: Variations Within Disciplines, Occupations and Employment Sectors
September 2006
Using data from the National Graduates Survey ant the Census, this research paper examines earnings of recent college graduates by field of study as well as estimates the internal rates of return to college education.
Table of Contents:
* Title Page * Abstract * Introduction * Data * Methodology * Results * Comparison to Previous Literature * Summary and Policy Implications * References

Registered Education Savings Plans (PDF file - 94K, 12 pages)
June 30, 2004
"This circular addresses the registration requirements for education savings plans (ESPs), explains certain provisions of the Income Tax Act (the “Act”), and outlines the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) requirements for promoters. Part V lists other CRA publications that contain information about registered education savings plans (RESP). This circular also provides some information on the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG)."
NOTE: this is an excellent primer on Canadian RESPs and the CESG!
Source:
Canada Revenue Agency

Third Actuarial Report on the Canada Student Loans Program
established under the Canada Student Loans Act and
the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act
As at July 31, 2003
Posted 22 June 2004
Complete Report (PDF format, 871 KB)
Executive Summary (PDF format, 93 KB)

Source:
Actuarial Reports - read actuarial reports on the following subjects: Canada Pension Plan - Old Age Security - Canada Student Loans Program - Canadian Forces - Federally Appointed Judges - Members of Parliament - Public Service of Canada
[ Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) ]
"The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is the primary regulator of federally chartered financial institutions and federally administered pension plans."

Related Link:

Canada Student Loans Program
"The Canada Student Loans Program promotes accessibility to post-secondary education by lowering financial barriers through the provision of loans and grants for Canadians with a demonstrated financial need."
Source:
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Federal Loans and Grants for Post-Secondary Education—Human Resources
and Social Development Canada and Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation
(Chapter 2 of the
May 2007 Report of the Auditor General of Canada)
(Excerpts)
"The federal government has said that Canada's international competitiveness depends on having an educated and skilled labour force. To improve access to higher education is the main objective of both the Canada Student Loans Program and the Foundation. To this end, HRSDC loaned $1.9 billion to some 350,000 post-secondary students in 2005–06 and awarded 78,500 grants amounting to about $129 million. In 2006 the Foundation awarded about $298 million in Millennium Bursaries to some 100,000 students and over $40 million in Access Bursaries to more than 20,000 students. "
"Financial assistance programs for post-secondary students are managed well"
Source:
Office of the Auditor General of Canada

CanLearn Interactive
"Welcome to CanLearn Interactive, the one-stop online source for information on post-secondary education in Canada. Whether you're a student, a teacher, a counsellor, or a parent, CanLearn Interactive has everything you need to help plan and finance education and learning. You will find information about Canadian universities and colleges, scholarships, and much more. CanLearn Interactive also includes the National Student Loans Service Centre, where you will find all the information you need to apply for, maintain and repay your student loans."

Canada Student Loans Program
"The Canada Student Loans Program promotes accessibility to post-secondary education by lowering financial barriers through the provision of loans and grants for Canadians with a demonstrated financial need."
Source:
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Canada Education Savings Grant

Formative Evaluation of the Canada Education Savings Grant Program Final Report Evaluation and Data Development Strategic Policy Human Resources Development Canada April 2003

Canadian Education Links, including universities

Ministères de l'Éducation au Canada

Canadian Education on the Web - Everything from soup to nuts about education in Canada, including: Boards of Education, Canada-Wide Organizations, Commercial Education Sites, Community Colleges, including Cégeps in Quebec Databases, Clearinghouses and Directories, Distance Education, Education Journals,Education Libraries, Educational Networks, Educators and Education Resources, Elementary and Secondary Schools, Faculties of Education, Independent Institutions, Jobs in Education, Ministries of Education, Private School Organizations, Provincial Organizations, School Board Organizations, Student Newspapers, Student Organizations, Teachers' Organizations, Universities and Colleges, and Other Canadian Education Internet Lists.

Canadian Education Association (CEA)
Founded in 1891, the Canadian Education Association is a bilingual, federally incorporated non-profit organization with charitable tax status. (...)
CEA initiates and sustains dialogue throughout the country influencing public policy issues in education for the ongoing development of a robust, democratic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy.
- incl. links to : * Focus on Educating Citizens, Literacy and Information and Communication Technology * About Us * Research and Policy * Events * Publications

Site map

Bulletin
Bulletin is CEA's monthly electronic newsletter, which serves to inform and engage members and friends of CEA - and all individuals who care about education and learning. It provides useful information about the latest in education news, policy, research, initiatives, events and ideas.
- click the link above to access any issue of the monthly bulletin right back to May 2004, and to subscribe to receive the bulletin by email.

Links to education resources (frequently-asked questions")
- links to resources in the following areas:
* Education Policy in Canada * Education Statistics * Teaching in Canada * Studying in Canada (International Students) * Studying in Canada (Canadian Residents) * Employment in Education in Canada
* International Opportunities * Scholarships and Financial Awards * Worldwide Education News

CanadaStudentDebt.ca
A site providing support for student loan problems!
"Student loans are meant to be paid back. Help should be available for those who have an unmanageable debt burden. A higher level of service should be provided by administrators. Bankruptcy is not the answer to student debt! If you are seeking ways to avoid paying back your loan, please do not post on this site. If you have good intentions of paying your loan and are experiencing hardship and need help, you are most welcome to post here."

\Federal cuts to literacy programs add to Canada’s low-literacy dilemma, says ABC CANADA
TORONTO
September 26, 2006 – As part of the Conservative government’s spending cuts announced yesterday, $17.7 million, otherwise available to literacy organizations through Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), will be slashed over the next two years. “ABC CANADA is disappointed that the resources available to literacy programs across this country have been significantly reduced,” says Margaret Eaton, ABC CANADA President. “At a time when there is an unprecedented need for funding to facilitate literacy skills upgrading in Canada, this is most unfortunate.” The cuts -- $5.8 million in 2006-2007, and $11.9 million in 2007-2008 – mean that local and regional literacy programs will no longer be funded by HRSD. The department’s new mandate is to concentrate on national and federal programs alone. This change jeopardizes the delivery of programs to many learners whose literacy challenges hinder their ability to function fully at home, in the community and in the workplace.
Source:
ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation
ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation is a national charity committed to promoting literacy to the general public and to the private sector. We are a partnership of business, labour, educators and government. We focus on public awareness programs, the development and execution of national literacy awareness campaigns; provide promotional support to local literacy groups; and conduct research to further the development of a fully literate Canadian population.

Media Awareness Network - Réseau éducation-média
The Media Awareness Network offers practical support for media education in the home, school and community and provides Canadians and others with information and "food for thought" on our fast-evolving media culture. It's also a place where educators, parents, students and community workers can share resources and explore ways to make media a more positive force in children's lives.

Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC) - large U.S. site

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
"The primary federal entity for collecting and analysing data that are related to education in the United States and other nations"
See the NCES Site Map for an overview of this large site that is rich in content. Here's a sample...

International Comparisons in Education
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), through the International Activities Program and the Annual Reports Program, collects, analyzes, and disseminates "statistics and other data related to education in the United States and other nations." The site includes education indicators and trends in mathematics and science, reading, civic education, and adult literacy. Data also available relating to primary, secondary, and higher education.

Longitudinal Surveys :
- High School and Beyond
- National Ed Longitudinal Study, 1988
- National Longitudinal Study, HS Class of 72
- Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) Program
"The ECLS Program has both descriptive and analytic purposes.  The descriptive purposes are to provide national data on (1) children's status at birth and at various points thereafter; (2) children's transitions to nonparental care, early education programs, and school; and (3) children's experiences and growth through the fifth grade.  The analytic purpose of the program is to provide data to test hypotheses about the effects of a wide range of family, school, community, and individual variables on children's development, early learning, and early performance in school."

The Condition of Education, 2002
June 2002
"The 2002 edition of the Condition of Education report has recently been released by the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Produced annually, the report highlights significant educational developments and progress made within the past year. This year’s report is available in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) and contains 44 indicators in six main areas: enrollment trends and student characteristics; student achievement and the longer term, enduring effects of education; student effort and rates of progress among different population groups; the quality of elementary and secondary education; the context of post-secondary education; and societal support for learning. Additionally, this report also provides analysis on the environment, climate, student outcomes at private schools, and the enrollment and persistence of nontraditional undergraduates. For anyone interested in education and its future, the report can be viewed in its entirety or by individual sections."
Reviewed by The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001
Related Links:
National Center for Education Statistics
U.S. Department of Education

TeAch-nology.com (U.S.)
TeAch-nology.com offers teachers FREE access to lesson plans, printable worksheets, over 150,000 reviewed web sites, rubrics, educational games, teaching / technology tips, advice from expert teachers, current education news, teacher downloads, teacher finance help, web quests, and teacher resources for creating just about anything a teacher could need. We continue to support the education of children by providing daily content to over 130 countries.

World Data on Education
UNESCO

(See also Canadian Universities and Colleges)
(See also Children, Families and Youth)

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