How Canada became an education superpower

[Bar Sinister]

How Canada became an education superpower

When there are debates about the world's top performing education systems, the names that usually get mentioned are the Asian powerhouses such as Singapore and South Korea or the Nordic know-alls, such as Finland or Norway.
But with much less recognition, Canada has climbed into the top tier of international rankings.


In the most recent round of international Pisa tests, Canada was one of a handful of countries to appear in the top 10 for maths, science and reading. The tests, run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), are a major study of educational performance and show Canada's teenagers as among the best educated in the world.
They are far ahead of geographical neighbours such as the US and European countries with strong cultural ties like the UK and France.


At university level, Canada has the world's highest proportion of working-age adults who have been through higher education - 55% compared with an average in OECD countries of 35%.
Full Article Below:

How Canada became an education superpower - BBC News

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

That's very impressive. And I speak as a citizen of the country that has Harvard, MIT, and my own alma mammy, Georgetown.

Always had a lot of respect for UT and McGill. Even more after I crossed swords with a McGill law professor on a policy issue.

It's always troubled me that Canada depends so much on resource extraction and sale. So this is a good thing.

Thanks, Bar!

 

[White_Unifier]

It is not evenly distributed though. According to Stats Can, almost half of Canadians between the ages of 16 and 65 is functionally literate in neither official language.

That makes me wonder how much of that success comes from teaching to the test.

This also means Canada needs to improve universal compulsory education for those who do not go on to university.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

It is not evenly distributed though. According to Stats Can, almost half of Canadians between the ages of 16 and 65 is functionally literate in neither official language.

It's never evenly distributed. But uneven distribution of "wicked smaht" beats the heck outta uneven distribution of "dumber'n a stump."

That makes me wonder how much of that success comes from teaching to the test.

Why don't you gather some evidence and get back to us on that?

This also means Canada needs to improve universal compulsory education for those who do not go on to university.

Or just make up a position without evidence. Either way.

 

[White_Unifier]

According to the article, much of the success comes from migrant families.

Furthermore, we notice that the rate of post-compulsory education more or less matches Canada's literacy rates in an official language, suggesting that much of Canada's success lies in higher education, not in universal compulsory education.

Adult literacy rate low-level skills - Canada and world results

Now that's from a few years ago.

All I can think is that it woke governments up and so universal compulsory education has significantly improved in recent years.

If so great, but then this would apply only to the younger generation and it will take a decade or two of maintaining this trend to really impact Canada's overall functional literacy rates.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

So, you live in one of the top-ten richest, most peaceful, most educated societies in the history of the world, and all you can think to do is sit around and bitch, cherry-picking stats to support your constant complaints, and suggesting major re-works to swat flies with sledgehammers.

Great idea. Why don't you try the Venezuela model? They had problems too. And they chose big, bold strokes to solve them.

How'd that work out?

 

[White_Unifier]

So, you live in one of the top-ten richest, most peaceful, most educated societies in the history of the world, and all you can think to do is sit around and bitch, cherry-picking stats to support your constant complaints, and suggesting major re-works to swat flies with sledgehammers.

Great idea. Why don't you try the Venezuela model? They had problems too. And they chose big, bold strokes to solve them.

How'd that work out?

That Canada has gone from nearly 50% functional illiteracy in the 16-65 population to one of the best education systems in world reveals a revolution in Canadian education in the last few years.

It might have been a quiet revolution, but a revolution it was. So, are all revolutions bad?

 

[Johnnny]

It happens...

Question though, does being well educated and knowledgeable in science, math, voice and composition make you any smarter?

On a separate note we have all these highly educated young'ins who because of the way the system operates can't close the skills and experience gap with the older generations because companies claim they want the soft skills but only hire based on hard skills.

Thats why we have an abundance of minimum wage workers who can sohcahtoa it on paper but cant turn that knowledge into real world results...

 

[Bar Sinister]

According to the article, much of the success comes from migrant families.

Actually what the article actually says is that Canadian education is a success despite a high proportion of migrants. That is not surprising seeing as how every school in Canada is funded equally. In other nations migrants often find themselves facing sub par education in low income areas.

It happens...

Question though, does being well educated and knowledgeable in science, math, voice and composition make you any smarter?

The reason nations are compared in those areas is because they are an easily measured constant. You either know math or you don't. Subjects like history and language are more difficult as you are attempting to measure cultural and historical differences. I strongly suspect that if I was tested in science or math I'd fail dismally, but I do all right in other areas.