[qote] @SculptorDad wrote
I am sorry for making a general judgement with only a very superficial information.
Still, on average, or in general it seems Canadian public school system is still far superior than US’s. For example, how many illiterate high school graduates Canada produce?
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No worries SculptorDad, nothing seems to get parents more hot and bothered than a discussion about education lol. We’ve been fortunate with our kids because they are currently in specialty/enriched programs within the public school system (what many parents are fighting against as it is seen as un-equitable). Even so, I still pay for after school tutoring twice a week for my youngest to mitigate the damage of a disastrous middle school experience. Other parents try to “game” the system by putting their kids in French Immersion, which has in many cases become an enrichment program (though that was not it’s intended purpose). There are intense battles by some parents to get their kids into FI programs since there are not enough spaces to meet demand and some school boards have gone to a lottery system to try and make it more equitable. Parents choose the program not so much because they want their kids to learn French but because they want them out of the regular integrated classroom. Kids with learning or behavioural issues aren’t usually found in FI classes.
With regards to literacy, in general Canada does very well. It’s the math scores that are the concern (which is why so many parents pay for tutoring).
From what I have read from various sources, what one can generalize is that there is less variability in the quality of education within Canada’s public school system vs the US. Teachers are compensated very well and credentials are strictly regulated. There is some issue with trying to get rid of bad apples due to the strength of the teachers’ unions but generally there is a greater supply of eligible teachers than positions available and teacher’s don’t get to choose what schools they are assigned to within a given board. That tends to level the playing field with regards to the quality of the teachers. There is a standardized curriculum that is set by each province for public schools and most private schools follow the same guidelines. School boards are also funded at the provincial level, not according to city or neighbourhood, making that more equitable as well, though the schools in more affluent areas are certainly able to supplement their budgets with additional fundraising. What we don’t have, without moving to the private school system, are equivalents to the highly enriched academically rigorous schools that exist in the US and parents here have less control over what schools their children attend. What variability in academic performance does exist across various schools can in large part be attributed to the socioeconomic background of the students and not the quality of the education itself. It’s these factors that school boards try to actively overcome.