Education

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

April 29, 2008
Education Matters: Insights on education, learning and training in Canada - April 2008
This issue of Statistics Canada's free online publication Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada contains two articles:

* Adult learning in Canada: Characteristics of learners
- summarizes findings of a recent report that examined characteristics of adult learners in Canada, including links between participation in adult education and training and literacy skill levels, education, family background and age.

* Why are the majority of university students women?
- summarizes results of a recent report that set out to explain the gender gap in university participation.

[ Previous issues of Education Matters ]

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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

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Early results show low-income Canadians can save for their education
News Release
January 25, 2008
A new report released by SRDC presents the 18-month results of the Individual Development Accounts project learn$ave. The program has so far yielded positive effects on saving and budgeting, as well as participants’ attitudes towards education.

Learning to Save, Saving to Learn: Early Impacts of the learn$ave Individual Development Accounts Project, a new report released by SRDC, presents the 18-month results of learn$ave, a project designed to demonstrate how Individual Development Accounts can encourage low-income adults to save in order to increase their human capital by participating in education or training, or starting a small business.

Download the full report (PDF file - 525K, 115 pages)
January 2008
Download the executive summary (PDF file - 1.9MB, 12 pages)

Find out more about learn$ave
The learn$ave project was conceived and implemented in 2000 by Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI), and is being funded by Human Resources and Social Development Canada. The evaluation of learn$ave is being conducted by SRDC.

Source:
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC)
SRDC’s two-part mission is to help policy-makers and practitioners identify social 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 social policies and programs.

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Freezing fees is not the answer : Putting a brake on fees doesn't help more low-income students
get into school and merely starves universities of resources, Sean Junor argues
October 16, 2007
Over the past four years our federal and provincial governments have increased spending on student loans, grants and education-related tax credits by more than $1.4-billion, boosting the total to a record $5.7-billion. Most of the new money is intended to reduce costs for students — by freezing tuition fees, for instance — and entice recent graduates to reside in their jurisdictions through graduate tax credits. Governments seem to prefer providing benefits to people already engaged in post-secondary education rather than assisting those most in need. In British Columbia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, every dollar of new money has been invested in universal student-support measures instead of need-based ones. In some of the cases, lower-income students are actually worse off. The so-called "welfare wall" is not easy to navigate around.
Source:
The Globe and Mail

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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

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What's New 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

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Federal cuts to literacy programs add to Canada’s low-literacy dilemma, says ABC CANADA
TORONTO, ON – 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.

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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."

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

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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

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The Daily Bread Food Bank announces education savings program to help break poverty cycle
Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation facilitates starting an RESP for Daily Bread clients
TORONTO, April 10, 2006
The Daily Bread Food Bank announced today a newpartnership designed to help break the poverty cycle through an accessible education savings program. Recognizing the importance of saving for post-secondary education in reducing the barriers to higher education and encouraging self-sustainability, Daily Bread and Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation (C.S.T.) have partnered to help low-income families take advantage of the Canada Learning Bond (CLB) program by setting up a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).
Source:
Newswire.ca

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)

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Education-related studies from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

Free Statistics Canada reports by topic:
Education, training and learning

May 1, 2007
Education Matters: Insights on education, learning and training in Canada, May 2007
May 2007
This issue of Statistics Canada's free online publication Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada contains the following two articles:
- Children with disabilities and the educational system – a provincial perspective documents differences across provinces in the education of children who have physical, cognitive and behavioural disabilities. It explores the extent to which they attend regular school classes and have access to special education services. It also examines differences in the opinions of parents on whether their special-needs children were being encouraged to reach their full potential in school.
- Are 5-year-old children ready to learn at school? Family income and home environment contexts

Previous issues of Education Matters - back to April 2004

February 8, 2007
Study: Why are youth from lower-income families less likely to attend university?, 2003
The gap in university attendance between youth from higher- and lower-income families is largely related to differences in academic performance at age 15 and parental influences, and to a lesser degree financial contraints, according to a new study.

Complete study:

Why Are Youth from Lower-income Families Less Likely to Attend University?
Evidence from Academic Abilities, Parental Influences, and Financial Constraints
by Marc Frenette
- incl. Executive summary plus links to the PDF version of the complete report
Source:
Analytical Studies Branch Research Papers

November 23, 2006
Study: Gender differences in university participation, 1977 to 2003
Women's participation in university has outpaced men's since the late 1970s. In fact, the gap widened substantially during the 1990s. This study uses data from two Statistics Canada surveys to investigate the reasons for the differentials of growth in university attendance between 1977 and 2003. Its findings suggest that a major factor underlying the steady increase in university enrolment among women is that it pays more for women to attend university.

Complete study:

The Gender Imbalance in Participation in Canadian Universities (1977-2003) - PDF file - 137K, 31 pages)
Christofides, L.N., Hoy, M. and Yang, L. (2006)
Department of Economics, University of Guelph working paper, April, pp. 30

October 10, 2006
Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning, 2006
Data from the Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning are now available.

Related Links from the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL):

Majority of parents can’t help their children with homework, say Canadians
Oct. 10, 2006—Two of every three parents (65%) don’t have the knowledge needed to help their children with homework, according to a new large-scale survey released today by the Canadian Council on Learning.

Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning
Canada’s barometer of opinions, perceptions and beliefs about lifelong learning
This annual large-sample survey was designed by the Canadian Council on Learning in consultation with Statistics Canada, and was also administered by the statistical agency. It asked more than 5,000 Canadians about four aspects of learning throughout the lifespan:
* early childhood learning
* health-related learning
* structured learning (elementary, secondary and post-secondary)
* work-related adult learning

Other CCL Reports and Data - incl. Composite Learning Index * Lessons In Learning * Journal of Applied Research on Learning * State of Learning in Canada * State-of-the-field Reviews * Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning * Data

September 28, 2006
Education Matters:
Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada
September 2006, vol. 3 no. 3
Thousands of students, from kindergarten to college and university have gone back to school. In honour of this annual ritual, Education Matters, released today, presents a "Special back-to-school issue — A fact book on education in Canada". It puts together a few facts and figures relating to education, including some of the latest research findings on the very important role that parents play in their children's education.

Back-to-school factbook
Early childhood
School readiness
How common are French immersion programs?
How much homework do 15-year olds do?
Working while in school
Trends in high school drop-out rates
What influences the decision to pursue a college or university education?
How many young people go on to postsecondary education?
Household savings and spending on education
The costs of attending college or university
Paying for postsecondary education
Government student loan debt
What is the first year of college or university like?
Persistence in postsecondary education
University enrolment trends
What is education worth in the labour market?

Earlier editions of Education Matters - going back April 2004
More free StatCan reports on education

July 5, 2006
Youth in Transition Survey: Update of the education and labour market pathways of young adults, 2004
More and more youth have undertaken postsecondary education, either at college, university or a private institution, and have taken their place in the labour market, according to a four-year study of major transitions in the lives of Canada's young people. The Youth in Transition Survey (YITS), which tracked movements between high school, postsecondary education and the labour market, interviewed young people and measured their activities at three stages: in 1999, 2001 and 2003.

Complete report:

Follow-up on Education and LabourMarket Pathways
of Young Canadians Aged 18 to 20 – Results from YITS Cycle 3 (PDF file - 391K, 47 pages)
July 2006
By Danielle Shaienks, Judy Eisl-Culkin and Patrick Bussière

June 23, 2006
Study: Education and earnings, 1980 to 2005
Average real earnings since 2000 have increased at a faster pace for young, less-educated male workers than for any other group, including university graduates, according to a new study.Wages for this group (young men aged 25 to 34 with a high school education) have rebounded during the past five years as a result of an influx of these individuals into lower-skilled jobs in industries exp eriencing strong growth. The study, published in the June online version of Perspectives on Labour and Income, found that this movement in wages narrowed the gap in earnings between less-educated and university-educated men. However, the gap is still wide.

Perspectives on Labour and Income - June 2006 issue (PDF file - 641K, 21 pages)
- includes the eight-page article on education and savings mentioned above AND an eight-page article on the Goods and Services Tax.

April 26, 2006
Study: How students fund their postsecondary education, 2001/2002
In general, no single source of funding was sufficient to cover the basic cost of postsecondary programs for a majority of students during the 2001/02 academic year, according to a new study. This study used data from the 2002 Postsecondary Education Participation Survey to examine costs of education involving tuition, fees, books and supplies, and financial support for students aged 18 to 24 (17 to 24 in Quebec) who pursued postsecondary studies during that year.

Complete study:

How Students Fund Their Postsecondary Education: Findings
from the Postsecondary Education Participation Survey (487K, 39 pages)
April 2006

April 12, 2006
Education Indicators in Canada, 2005
Featured product
The fourth edition of Education Indicators in Canada: Report of the Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program, available today, provides a wealth of statistical information on education.

Highlights

Complete report:

Education indicators in Canada:
Report of the Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program 2005
April 2006
HTML version (includes links to highlights, figures and tables and earlier issues of the report)
PDF version (this is an HTML page with links to separate PDF files for (1) the complete report, (2) the report appendices, (3) the report tables and (4) committees and organizations.

March 24, 2006
Participation in Adult Schooling and its Earnings Impact in Canada
Based on a sample drawn from Statistics Canada's Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID: 1993 to 1998 and 1996 to 2001), the study finds that young (17 to 34 years old) and single workers were more likely than older (35 to 59 years old) and married and divorced workers to participate in adult schooling and to obtain a post-secondary certificate. Workers with less than a high school education who might have the greatest need to increase their human capital investment were less likely to participate in adult education than workers with high school or more education.

Complete study:

Participation in Adult Schooling
and its Earnings Impact in Canada (PDF file - 202K, 35 pages)
by Xuelin Zhang and Boris Palameta
March 2006

December 16, 2005
Education Matters: Trends in dropout rates among the provinces, 1990/91 to 2004/05
[See the "NOTES" section before the tables at the end for links to three related StatCan reports]
Related Link:
Provincial Drop-out rates - Trends and Consequences

May 11, 2005
Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, 2003
The challenge to improve literacy performance among Canadians is far from over, according to the first round of a major new survey. As in 1994, a significant number of Canadian adults have low-level literacy skills which may have an impact on their participation in the economy and in society.

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

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What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

June 16, 2004
Youth in Transition Survey: Education and labour market pathways of young adults, 2002
"Canada's young people are making the transition from school to the workforce through a complex set of pathways, rather than simply finishing their education and jumping straight into a full-time job, according to new data from the Youth in Transition Survey."
Complete report:
Education and labour market pathways of young
Canadians between age 20 and 22: an Overview (PDF file - 223K, 41 pages)
by Klarka Zeman, Tamara Knighton, and Patrick Bussière
Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division (Statistics Canada)

Related StatCan link:
April 5, 2004
Youth in Transition Survey, 2002
Study Highlights
Complete report:
In and out of high school: First results from the second cycle
of the Youth in Transition Survey, 2002 (PDF file - 303K, 41 pages)
April 2004

April 30, 2004
Education Matters: A new online publication
"Today, Statistics Canada launches a new, free, online publication called Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada. This publication, which will be released every two months, is a source of summary information on issues relating to education, training and learning, as well as a key point of access to data and analytical output relating to education."
Education Matters - Insights on education, learning and training in Canada
April 2004 (Issue Number 1)
- Literacy counts
A key indicator of educational progress is the extent to which schools are successful in equipping their students with strong literacy skills. The evidence shows that educational systems that have the highest average literacy scores also tend to have the smallest gaps in achievement between high-scoring and low-scoring students.
- Distance as a postsecondary access issue
"In a country as vast as Canada, it can be expected that some individuals must make the decision to leave home if they want to pursue a postsecondary education. What role does distance to the nearest institution play in the choice between attending college versus university?"
Latest releases/studies on education in The Daily (from StatCan)
Free Internet Publications on Education from Statistics Canada - links to 30+ StatCan reports on education

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 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.

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

L'éducation