Education Policy Outlook 2018

Canada

Context

Canada scored among the highest in science, reading and mathematics in PISA 2015, with a mean score of 528 points in science, 527 in reading and 516 in mathematics (compared to the OECD averages of 493 points in science, 493 in reading and 490 in mathematics). Performance in science remained stable between PISA 2006 and PISA 2015, as did performance in reading. Performance in mathematics, on the other hand, declined by 4.3 score points on all assessments between 2003 and 2015. In Canada, the strength of the relationship between science performance and socio-economic status of students was among the weakest across OECD countries, with 8.8% of the variation in student performance in science attributed to differences in students’ socio-economic status (OECD average: 12.9%). The impact of ESCS on performance in science has not changed since 2006. There was no significant gender difference in science performance in PISA 2015. Immigrant students make up 30.1% of the student population of 15-year-olds in Canada, a proportion which is among the highest in the OECD (OECD average: 12.5%). Unlike most OECD countries, there was no significant performance gap in PISA 2015 between immigrant and non-immigrant students in science, with a score difference of just -2 points.

Pre-elementary education (kindergarten) is a one-year programme that children typically start between age 4 and age 5. Both education-only and integrated education and care pre‑primary programmes exist nationally. Qualified teachers are responsible for the formal curricula in place for both programmes. Compulsory education in Canada begins at age 6 and ends at age 16-18, longer than the typical duration across the OECD. Students are first tracked into different educational pathways at age 16, later than the OECD average of age 14. Upper secondary education is divided between general programmes and VET. Depending on the province or territory in Canada, students attend four to six years of compulsory upper secondary education. All general upper secondary programmes lead to college and university education, as well as apprenticeship and post‑secondary non-tertiary programmes. In most cases, VET only allows students to advance to apprenticeship or post-secondary non-tertiary streams.

VET is primarily offered at the post-secondary level in public or private technical and vocational institutes or colleges, rather than at upper secondary level. At upper secondary level, only a small proportion of students (primarily in Quebec) are enrolled in pre‑vocational/vocational programmes (6%, compared to 44% on average in OECD countries in 2012). The apprenticeship system plays an important role in the provision of trade skills, as it is a source of workplace training.

In the OECD Survey of Adult Skills in 2012 and 2015, adult literacy scores in Canada were higher than the OECD average, at 273 points, compared to the OECD average of 268 points. The gap in literacy skills between older adults (age 55-65) and younger adults (age 25-34) was lower than the OECD average. The proportion of the population aged 25‑64 with lower secondary education as the highest level of attainment in Canada is among the lowest in the OECD, with an attainment rate of 6.9% in 2016, compared to the OECD average of 14.3%. NEET rates (the proportion of those aged 18-24 that are neither employed nor in education or training) are lower than the OECD average, at 13.8%, compared to the OECD average of 15.3%. The percentage of the population aged 25-34 with a tertiary-level qualification is among the highest in the OECD, at 60.6% in 2016, compared to the OECD average of 43.1%. Employment rates for 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education are close to the OECD average. In 2016, 85.3% were employed, while the OECD average rate was 82.9%.

Figure 7.4. Selected indicators compared with the average: Canada

Note: For each indicator, the absolute performance is standardised (normalised) using a normative score ranging from 0 to 220, where 100 was set at the average, taking into account all OECD countries with available data in each case.

Sources: OECD (2016), PISA 2015 Results (Volume I): Excellence and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264266490-en; OECD (2016), Skills Matter: Further Results from the Survey of Adult Skills, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264258051-en; OECD (2017), Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-2017-en.

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Evolution of key education policy priorities

Table 7.4. Evolution of key education policy priorities, Canada (2008-17)

Identified by:	Equity and quality	Preparing students for the future
Selected OECD country-based work 2008-171	Canada needs to make ECEC more accessible from early ages and improve outcomes for minority-language and Aboriginal students. [2015]	The OECD identified challenges facing disadvantaged groups in accessing tertiary education. The OECD also found that integration of students into the labour market needs to be encouraged. To improve the quality of education, research has to be fostered. Weak numeracy or literacy skills pose a barrier to post-secondary education completion for some students. [2016]
Evolution of responses to EPO Surveys, 2013 and 2016‑17	Canada reported challenges in improving the educational outcomes of Aboriginal, first-generation immigrants, low-income learners and students with disabilities. [2013; 2016-17]	According to survey responses, difficulties remain in developing the apprenticeship system due to, among others, the low perception of the system by students and low employer engagement. As the need for an ever more highly skilled and flexible workforce is growing, employers face difficulties in finding people with the right skills. Creating quality experiential learning experiences in post-secondary education is therefore of prime importance. [2013; 2016-17]

Note: See Annex A, Table A A.3 for the list of OECD publications consulted for this snapshot

Selected education policy responses

The SchoolsPlus programme, launched in 2008 in the province of Nova Scotia, is an interagency approach to support children and families by appointing the school as the centre of service delivery. The programme’s core focus continues to be the creation of “communities of care” to help students foster resilience and prevent more children, youth and families from becoming at-risk. Ultimately, the programme aims to reach and support the 5-10% of children and youth in Nova Scotia who are at risk of marginalisation. The policy has expanded every year, with sites in all eight school boards. Each school board now has a SchoolsPlus facilitator and Community Outreach Workers who act as the liaison between the school and the community, and each board has established a SchoolsPlus Advisory Committee, which identifies opportunities to enhance and expand the array of services and programmes for children, youth and their families.

• Progress or impact: A 2013 report highlighted that the SchoolsPlus programme had achieved provincial coverage, after establishing 95 sites in all eight school boards. Although the service provided by the programme had resulted in an increase in interdepartmental service co-operation and the introduction of mental health services, the report suggested that a “mid-term correction” should be made to ensure that the policy achieves its ultimate goal. However, the report states that the programme has been more successful at “co‑ordinating existing public social services” than achieving its original mission (Bennett, 2013).

In 2009, the province of Quebec introduced the “I Care about School” strategy (l’École, j’y tiens!), aiming to reach a student completion rate of 80% in secondary education by 2020, through reduced class size, after-school care and reintegrating students who have dropped out of the system.

• Progress or impact: A 2012 evaluation of the programme found that the participants of the experimental study group increased their commitment after the programme’s intervention. The assessment suggests that this might be attributed to one part of the curriculum of the programme, the media project, which particularly motivated the participants (Lalande Charlebois, 2012).

The Canada Apprentice Loan (CAL), launched in 2015, provides interest-free loans of up to CAD 4 000 per period of technical training to help register apprentices in Red Seal trades with the costs of training (Government of Canada, 2017a).

• Progress or impact: The June 2017 evaluation report on the first phase of implementation of the programme found that there is demand for the programme, as otherwise employers provide little to no financial support to apprentices. As of 2015, 41% of eligible students took up a CAL. From 2015 to 2016, the administrative costs were CAD 4.2 million. Challenges remain in raising awareness among the target group and clarifying the terms of repayment, as they have not been clear to some recipients. The report indicates that the impact of the loans on completion rates will be addressed in the second phase of the evaluation, as more time is needed for data collection (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2017).

The Job Bank website in Canada replaced “Working in Canada” in 2014. It is the country’s national online employment service to connect employers with job seekers. Through partnerships with many of the largest third-party job boards, the Job Bank aims to post a consolidated view of available jobs searchable by occupation, location and other factors. It also permits job seekers to register their skills and employers to register their requirements. This enables automated matching and notification. The site also features a comprehensive section on the labour market that combines information from over 30 sources, where users can explore careers by learning about trends in the labour market, as well details on specific occupations. Information available includes wages, outlooks, skills, training, licensing and certification requirements, and training and education options.

• Progress or impact: In October 2017, the Job Bank website listed more than 95 000 jobs (Government of Canada, 2017b).

Additional education policies of potential interest to other countries

The Early Learning and Development Framework of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (2014) presents a pan-Canadian vision for early learning to be adapted to the unique needs and circumstances of each province and territory. It supports the development of policies and initiatives that enhance the quality and continuity of the learning experience in the early years and beyond. The principles guiding this framework are: 1) the child is integral to policy and programme development; 2) the family is central to a child’s development; 3) honouring the diversity of children and families is integral to equity and inclusion; 4) safe, healthy and engaging environments shape lifelong learning, development, behaviour, health and well-being; 5) learning through play capitalises on children’s natural curiosity and exuberance; and 6) the educator, or the extended family as educator, is central to supporting learning and development through responsive and caring relationships.

• In 2017, the Government of Canada announced an agreement with provincial and territorial governments on a Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework. It will be seeking to increase the quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity in ECEC, in particular for families that need childcare the most. The federal government will work with each province and territory to enter into three-year bilateral agreements outlining their specific ECEC needs and the funding allocation for each jurisdiction. Through these agreements, the provinces and territories will receive CAD 1.2 billion over the next three years for ECEC programmes and will report annually on progress made in relation to the Framework and bilateral agreements. The Framework will complement the development of a separate Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework between the Government of Canada and Indigenous partners.

• The province of Ontario invested CAD 150 million in a Technology and Learning Fund (TLF, 2014-17) to modernise classrooms and bring more innovation to learning. The TLF funds local innovation projects, the acquisition of technology and software for Ontario classrooms, and related professional learning for educators. The updated TLF implementation plan (2017) aims to support stakeholders with implementation, including a first draft of “Celebrating Ontario’s Innovation Journey – An Iterative Rubric”, which aims to communicate best practices and track projects in process (Council of Ontario Directors of Education, 2017). A new Innovation in Learning Fund was was also introduced to enhance innovation in learning and teaching to assist students in obtaining “global competencies”, with an ongoing investment of CAD 10 million per year (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2017).

• In 2016, Canada’s labour market ministers agreed to explore innovative approaches to increase employer engagement for improved job opportunities and outcomes for apprentices. Federal, provincial and territorial governments in most jurisdictions also reconfirmed their commitment to harmonise apprenticeship training for 30 Red Seal trades by 2020, with an effort to harmonise training for two-thirds of Red Seal apprentices by 2017 (Government of Canada, 2017c).

More information available at: www.oecd.org/education/policyoutlook.htm.