We get a lot of clients offering products and/or services to Canada’s education sector, so it seems appropriate to take a look at it here.
Education in Canada is a provincial responsibility; each province or territory has a network of school boards with trustees elected during municipal elections and serving a standard four-year term (or longer, if re-elected). As per the 2022 Ontario Municipal & School Board Elections page, trustees are charged with “identifying the needs and priorities of their community and… ensuring these are considered in the decisions of the board…” The provinces and territories will also oversee in-classroom programs and accommodations for students with special education needs.
According to the Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA), most locally elected school trustees set and administer budgets, hire and promote teachers and administrators, set local policies, build schools, and purchase supplies. Some provinces give school boards the power to levy and collect property taxes, while others get funding from the provincial education departments. Public and separate school systems that are publicly funded serve about 93% of all students in Canada.
Statistics Canada states that Canada had almost 5.7 million elementary and secondary public school students nationwide in the 2020/2021 school year. The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada states that as of 2020, there were approximately 14,600 public schools in Canada, including:
- 10,100 elementary schools,
- 2,600 secondary schools, and
- 2,100 mixed elementary and secondary schools.
According to The Fraser Institute, Canada has over 400,000 students enrolled in ‘independent’ schools, including private ones. The 2022 report indicates that private schools serve students in Ontario the most (153,291), followed by Quebec (126,868), British Columbia (87,168), and Alberta (31,612). However, British Columbia has the highest percentage of students in independent schools (13.2%), followed by Quebec (11.7%), Manitoba (8.0%), and Ontario (6.9%). Five provinces – Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec – contribute some public funds to private schools.
Postsecondary education in Canada is available in government-supported and private schools, offering degrees, diplomas, certificates, and attestation, depending on the type of institution and length of programs. Canada has 223 public and private universities and 213 public colleges and institutes; a complete list can be found here. According to the CMEC, 45.8% of postsecondary funding comes from the government, with student fees accounting for 29.4% of postsecondary revenue; bequeaths, donations, grants, and investments cover another 25%.
Statista’s figures show that 2.19 million students were enrolled in Canadian postsecondary institutions in 2022—well above the 1.44 million enrolled in 2000-2001. According to Statistics Canada’s 2022 data, more than half of Canadians (57.5%) have completed college or university, a rate that compares favorably among OECD countries (the average is one-third).
STEM is an important part of today’s education in Canada. As per the Canadian government’s website:
Canada has emerged as a world leader in many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, and many new jobs and career opportunities that have emerged in recent years are STEM-related. As more and more businesses and organizations look to innovate, modernize, and grow, the demand for people who can fill STEM-related jobs will only increase. Canada needs a workforce that can continue to meet the challenges of the future…
By equipping youth with science literacy skills, they will be better positioned to navigate online information and make better decisions based on understanding the difference between personal opinions and evidence-based conclusions.
The Canadian government has implemented numerous initiatives encouraging youth to gravitate toward STEM fields. A complete list of STEM initiatives in Canada can be found here.
The K12 website differentiates between STEM and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education. While both are “standards-based educational approaches to a rigorous, integrated math and science curriculum,” STEM “focuses on real-world learning through investigations, problem-solving, and evidence-based explanations.” At the same time, STEAM “has a process-driven focus and requires the use of soft skills in addition to academic knowledge.”
More institutes across Canada are looking to STEAM to bridge the gap between humanities and science education. As the president of Colleges and Institutes Canada says, “We can add value to technical knowledge by learning how to use our creativity and cultivate more curiosity.”
Businesses that offer innovative products and/or services may find opportunities in the Canadian education market.
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