Apprenticeship: Canada in decline

Canada is falling back on learning. This is the conclusion of the last report of the Canadian Council on Learning published Tuesday.

The authors find in particular that 25 % of children enter school without having the bases necessary to learn literacy and numeracy. "Although Canadians are keenly aware of its critical importance throughout the lifespan of their children, Canada's public spending on early childhood learning is among the lowest of any industrialized country," notes -your.

As for learning at school age, the report's authors agree that the country has many strengths. "The inclusive and egalitarian nature of our school systems is a particularly interesting trait compared to the systems of our counterparts who are members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)," it says. That said, although Canadian students consistently perform above average on international tests, the Canadian Council on Learning fears the country will lose its leadership status. He notes that performance is declining in absolute terms as well as relative to other economies.

With regard to post-secondary education, the council deplores the lack of cohesion, strategic planning and coherence across all regions as well as the absence of common goals and objectives. “Canada is losing ground to other countries in post-secondary education. The gap between Canada's performance and that of its competitors has the effect of a significant slowdown on our productivity, our innovations and our access to proven quality, ”one writes.

Finally, the board does not note any progress in terms of adult learning or in the workplace.

Recommendations

In this latest report from the organization, which will close its doors this spring for lack of federal funding, it recommends the establishment of a council of ministers on federal, provincial and territorial apprenticeship. The council also wants the creation of “concrete and measurable” national objectives for each stage of learning. "In the absence of a sustained pan-Canadian approach, many learners will not achieve their goals," it is estimated.

Read also :

Reading Comprehension: Young Canadians Among the Best

Do after-school lessons influence students' academic performance?

Academics proud of the Quebec school system