Despite excellent recent PISA results, Canadians shouldn’t be complacent. From 2015 to 2018, scores fell in all three subjects
Canada’s 15-year-old students continue to do well on the gold standard of academic testing, but with some concerns. The Programme for International Student Achievement (PISA) has randomly tested students worldwide every three years since 2000. It recently released results from reading, math and science tests completed by some half-a-million students in 79 countries in 2018.…
Study finds no link between the circumstances in the local economy, student unemployment and the level of subsidies handed out. So is it all political?
Those who argue that the Canadian federation exhibits plenty of fiscal and program biases against Prairie Canadians will see further evidence in a recent study from the Halifax-based Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS). The study, Rethinking Student Job Subsidies, authored by David Murrell and Alan Chan, is subtitled The Case for Regional Equity in…
Policy-makers in Edmonton and in school districts around the province must learn from other jurisdictions
Parents in Alberta are concerned about the state of elementary and secondary education. Results from the Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) and international tests including the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicate alarming trends, particularly in math. Unfortunately, a pervasive myth that large cuts to education spending are responsible…
Will officially become the Alberta University of the Arts on Feb. 1.
The Alberta College of Art + Design will officially become the Alberta University of the Arts on Feb. 1. It will be the province’s first university dedicated to fine arts and design. And the change comes at an opportune time in Calgary’s history as the city looks at different ways of diversifying its economy following…
When a province mandates a single curriculum, it eliminates diversity and experimentation that can lead to better methods
By Jason Clemens and Angela MacLeod The Fraser Institute The recent release of the latest Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) has Albertans again concerned about declining math scores. It would be wrong and misplaced, however, to blame teachers without understanding the role of the education bureaucracy. In reality, teachers are mandated to teach curriculum imposed by…
Calgary will get 216 seats, Edmonton 169 seats and Lethbridge 21 seats, shared among various schools
Alberta’s growing technology sector is getting a boost from the government with more than 400 new post-secondary tech program seats being added this year. “Our government is making sure more students can train, grow and graduate with the expertise needed for good jobs in Alberta’s changing economy. Investing in more seats will ensure our booming…
Albertans may want to consider education savings a priority early to avoid saddling their children with enormous debt: ATB
The latest ATB Investor Beat indicates that 19 per cent of Albertans are saving for a child or grandchild's education, but only half believe they'll be able to save enough to cover the total education expense. The quarterly survey, which was released on Wednesday, also showed that 10 per cent of Albertans are saving for…
In British Columbia, independent schools outperform public schools in academic achievement
For some students, the end of the school year means saying goodbye to one school and hello to another, so it’s an opportune moment for parents to reflect on school choice. In British Columbia, independent schools – operating outside the public system – provide the bulk of educational choice. There are many benefits to the…
Independent schools provide increased choice and better outcomes for students than the current model Alberta employs
As another school year ends, it’s a good time to reflect on kindergarten-go-Grade-12 education in Alberta, including independent schools and how they fit into the overall model of education. Although more and more families are choosing independent schools, there are many who view these schools with suspicion and would prefer a more homogenized system. However,…
Alberta’s Bill 24 ignores the fact that predators thrive in an environment where secrets are kept from parents
It would seem like obvious common sense that secrets should not be kept from parents about what their children are doing. Especially when it comes to other adults talking to children about sex. Child abuse, sexual or otherwise, occurs most often when parents are absent and unaware. Countless Canadian criminal cases demonstrate that predators, abusers…
Canada’s 15-year-old students continue to do well on the gold standard of academic testing, but with some concerns. The Programme for International Student Achievement (PISA) has randomly tested students worldwide every three years since 2000. It recently released results from reading, math and science tests completed by some half-a-million students in 79 countries in 2018.…
