In Canada, just as in the UK, private school enrollment is rising against the tide
We read a recent report showing that enrollment in private schools in the UK was rising while enrollment in public schools was in decline. This in spite of school reforms by the Labour government. A quick investigation of the situation here in Canada shows that indeed the same is true here: a record number of parents educating their children privately in this country.
According to statistics from the Canadian Association of Independent schools, enrollment in independent schools rose from 30,023 to 40,551, an increase of over 10,000 students or 35% in a decade. From 2004 to 2005 that increase was over 2%, a higher rate than the previous years.
In the meantime, according to Statistics Canada, enrollment in public schools in most Canadian provinces declined during the same period.
Nationally, the increase during this period was less than .5%, and there were only two provinces where enrollment increased during the same period - Ontario at 4.9% and in Alberta at 2.4%. Fully seven provinces decreased more than 5% during that period.
What's more, the increased enrollment in Ontario is restricted to a small number of schools in the Toronto area, says Gay Stephenson, a research analyst for People for Education.
In terms of dropouts (high school dropouts, that is) Canada ranks tenth among Western countries. Canada's rate of 10.9% puts us ahead of the United States (12.3% in 2001 and increasing yearly), Germany and France but we are far behind countries such as Norway (4.6% in 2003) and the United kingdom (8.0%).
See this article online
|
