How does Canada rank in the global sphere of education?

The Canadian Council on Learning's (CCL) latest report, The State of Learning in Canada 2009–2010: A Year in Review released in March, suggests Canada is falling behind on the international scene of learning. "If we in Canada are not prompt and effective, better organized and determined- international competitors will eat our lunch," states the report.

Is Canada setting conditions for success—or for failure to compete successfully?” The report suggests Canada needs a coherent approach to lifelong learning that involves developing common, shared, national indicators of progress.

CCL recommends setting clear national objectives with provincial and regional incentives to meet a higher unified standard of education.  The report also proposes increased financial support for early childhood development and learning and flexibly in deployment of curriculum so that parents have a choice with regard to which model they prefer.

"Schools must become the hub for community learning through integration of needs of children," states the CCL report.  "Canada should develop common learning outcomes, using carefully determined international criteria for K-12 in all key subjects. This is harmonization, not standardization, nor a national curriculum."

Recommendtions include:

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  Developing school-industry partnerships that make apprenticeship training in high school a possible avenue.
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  Establishing a national French-language teacher training college in order to preserve and advance bilingual education at all levels, including Post Secondary Education (PSE).
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  Improving Aboriginal learning outcomes by applying a greater understanding of Aboriginal Peoples’ perspectives on learning and a culturally appropriate framework for measuring it.

According to the CCL findings, a national post-secondary strategy should be modeled after the European Union (EU) strategy to encorporate three essential characteristics:

1. 
   Clearly stated objectives, for specified periods of time
2. 
   Implement measures to assess achievement of objectives
3. 
   Institute a systematic goal of cohesion and coherence among all the facets

In a report to Parliamentarians March 30, 2010, the CCL outlined preliminary objectives to increase Canada's competitive edge internationally. The bottom line, Canada needs to:

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  Emulate the EU in converging all forms of education and training across jurisdictions, thereby promoting mobility and quality.
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  Create systems of accountability through agreement on national indicators for success in PSE, learning from EU, Australia and other political entities.
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  Create a pan-Canadian PSE data and information strategy which acts as the basis for indicator development and policy decisions.
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  Establish goals and measurable objectives for Canadian PSE for both the short and the long term.

Creating and maintaining a national forum on PSE, including both governments and NGOs, would:

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  Establish national goals, indicators, and data and would agree on mechanisms to monitor and report annually to Canadians on progress with respect to agreed goals.
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  Construct a pan-Canadian framework for quality assurance.
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  Establish a Canadian qualifications framework.

"Time and again, our research affirms that the skills and knowledge that citizens bring to their families, workplaces and communities help determine a country’s economic success and overall quality of life."