Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

Canadian parents taking action to gain educational advantages for their children, survey says

Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning finds 1 in 3 parents has hired a tutor; majority who choose immersion do so to improve children’s job prospects

Nov. 26, 2007 Ottawa—While the majority of Canadian parents say they are satisfied with the education system, a new survey released today by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) reveals that many think schools are not doing enough to prepare their children for the realities of the workplace. 

These initial findings from CCL’s second annual Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning (SCAL), which highlights perceptions about structured learning, suggest that parents are increasingly involved in doing whatever they can to position their children in the best possible way for success in their working lives.

The large-scale survey of more than 5,000 Canadians shows that 33% of parents have hired a tutor for their child, even though a majority of them have children with an A or B average.

As well, the majority of Canadian parents who chose to place their child in a language-immersion program did so out of a desire to improve their future job prospects; this was the most common reason reported (by nearly 60% of parents) when asked why they enrolled their child in an immersion program.

"This year’s SCAL results show that many Canadian parents of kindergarten to Grade 12 students are feeling the need to take action—to be actively involved in directing their child's education," says Dr. Paul Cappon, President and CEO of the Canadian Council on Learning.

"These indicators of ‘intensive parenting’ reflect an awareness of the rising demands for skills and knowledge in the workforce—and a desire on the part of parents to give their children the best footing."

Other highlights from this year’s survey reveal that more than 80% of Canadians consider bullying to be one of the most serious issues facing students at school, and that homework is a source of stress for nearly three-quarters of households (see Key Findings below).

Conducted in the spring of 2007, the Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning is a barometer of opinions, perceptions and beliefs about lifelong learning designed by the Canadian Council on Learning in consultation with Statistics Canada, and administered by the statistical agency.

Today’s release, 2007 Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning: Elementary and Secondary Learning, presents the results of questions asked about structured learning (kindergarten through Grade 12). The SCAL results for early childhood learning and adult learning will be released in separate reports in 2008.

Key Findings

General

• A majority of Canadians believe that elementary and secondary schools are meeting or exceeding expectations;
• When it comes to preparing students for work, more than 40% of Canadians report that their schools are below expectations

Homework

• 72% of Canadian parents, with children aged 5–24, report that homework is often a source household stress
• More than 80% of Canadians agree that homework develops good work habits and enhances learning

Bullying

• More than 80% of Canadians perceive bullying as one of the most serious issues facing students and students should do more to alleviate it
• Nearly half (47%) of Canadian parents report their children have been bullied
• Younger Canadians (ages 18–34) strongly believe that students could be doing more to prevent and address bullying in schools

Tutoring

• 33% of parents have hired a tutor for their child
• The majority of parents who have hired a tutor report their children’s academic performance to be in the A or B range
• Parents who have hired tutors are more likely to say that schools are falling below expectations when it comes to teaching the basics and teaching students to love learning
• Income is the greatest predictor of whether parents will hire a tutor

Language immersion

• One in four Canadian parents have enrolled their children in a language-immersion program
• 36% report that they enrolled a child in language immersion because it is more challenging; 27% because of the school's reputation

The full report is available at www.ccl-cca.ca/scal

Methodological details: Statistics Canada conducted telephone interviews with 5,361 adult Canadians in May and June 2007. 

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The Canadian Council on Learning is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded through an agreement with Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Its mandate is to promote and support evidence-based decisions about learning throughout all stages of life, from early childhood through to the senior years.

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