大象传媒

A steady decline in Canada鈥檚 reading, science and math scores signals serious trouble ahead, according to a 大象传媒 professor.  

Canada still ranks in the top 10 of 81 countries participating in The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development鈥檚 large-scale Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). But provinces need to act before our secondary school system falls below the average, says John Richards, professor emeritus at 大象传媒鈥檚 School of Public Policy. 
  
One province, Newfoundland and Labrador, has already slipped below the OECD average. If the trend continues, Canada will have the same mediocre public school system as in U.S., warns Richards, author of 鈥溾�� published by the C.D. Howe Institute.   
 
鈥淲e should be conscious of the fact that the United States has declined significantly in its secondary schooling. In math in particular, the U.S. ranks mediocre,鈥� Richards explains. 鈥淪o why is America losing its place in economic development? Part of it is mediocre public schooling.鈥� 
 
鈥淵ou're not going to have a well-functioning economy if the great majority don鈥檛 have at least secondary-level 鈥� and preferably some kind of post-secondary 鈥� education,鈥� says Richards. 鈥淓ducation doesn't have to be an academic path towards a PhD. Becoming a good carpenter, a good IT person, a good plumber: these are all important skills that are certainly not superficial, or easy.鈥� 
 
PISA is a robust survey conducted every three years to measure how well 15-year-old students can read, and answer math and science questions at reasonable secondary school levels.  
 
Canada鈥檚 scores in all three were well above the benchmark score (500) when the PISA assessments began in 2000. Today, all three Canadian results are lower than initial scores.  
 
There are some bright spots in Canada we can learn from, says Richards. To solve the math problem, provinces can look to Quebec, which has by far the best 2022 math result.  
 
鈥淪econdary-level teachers in Quebec are required to undertake roughly twice as many courses in math as is typical across Canada,鈥� Richards explains. 鈥淥ther provinces should be doing more of what Quebec is doing in terms of math training and trying to solve the 鈥榤ath phobia鈥� problem among would-be teachers.鈥� 
 
The highest high school completion rate is in B.C., where the province regularly assesses and publishes Indigenous student learning outcomes at the school district level. B.C.鈥檚 Indigenous results are not ideal but are probably better than the other provinces, notes Richards.  
 
PISA was created by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The last assessment was postponed to 2022 in the year after the COVID-19 pandemic. PISA 2025 is currently underway in Canada, and results will be published in 2026. 

AVAILABLE 大象传媒 EXPERTS

JOHN RICHARDS, professor emeritus, public policy, research fellow, C.D. Howe Institute
jrichard@sfu.ca 

CONTACT  

ROBYN STUBBS, 大象传媒 Communications & Marketing 
778.772.1349 | robyn_stubbs@sfu.ca

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大象传媒 is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Over the past 60 years, 大象传媒 has been recognized among the top universities worldwide in providing a world-class education and working with communities and partners to develop and share knowledge for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. Committed to excellence in everything we do, 大象传媒 fosters innovation to address global challenges and continues to build a welcoming, inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擝urnaby, Surrey and Vancouver鈥敶笙蟠� has eight faculties that deliver 364 undergraduate degree programs and 149 graduate degree programs for more than 37,000 students each year. The university boasts more than 200,000 alumni residing in 145+ countries.