Education in Canada: In pursuit of educational quality and equity (original) (raw)

2011, Revista española de educación comparada

Abstract

Canada is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a national department of education but several provincial departments of education which are responsible for educational governance. The article provides an overview of Canada's educational systems. It describes the current political, economic and social context and provides a brief historical overview of the evolution of these systems. The article addresses educational quality and equity by drawing on educational indicators and discusses educational reforms that have taken place. The strengths and weaknesses of Canada's systems of education are analyzed. The article concludes with remarks on the interrelationship between educational equality and societal inequality.

Key takeaways

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  1. Canada lacks a national education department, relying on provincial governance for educational systems.
  2. Aboriginal students face significant disparities in high school and post-secondary graduation rates compared to the general population.
  3. In 2007-2008, 5.11 million students were enrolled in Canadian public education, with varying graduation rates across provinces.
  4. Canada's education funding was 51.2billionin2007−2008,withaveragespendingof51.2 billion in 2007-2008, with average spending of 51.2billionin2007−2008,withaveragespendingof10,678 per student.
  5. The text aims to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Canada's educational systems while addressing equity challenges.

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