Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

Canadian education and learning resource severely limited by loss of government funding

January 8, 2010 Ottawa—The government of Canada has decided to end its financial support for the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL), restricting the activities of a critically important source of knowledge in education and learning.

Although CCL understands that its funding will end on March 31, 2010, it is determined to continue serving Canadians.

Paul Cappon, the President and CEO of the Council, says he is pursuing every avenue to allow CCL to survive, even in a very limited way. “CCL has achieved a lot in its short life, but there is so much more to accomplish,” he said. “We will do everything we can to continue our work in some form or another because that work contributes to Canada’s prosperity.” He added that CCL would complete every one of its current projects.

CCL was created in 2004 and has worked tirelessly to discover and develop the best possible practices in education and learning and to inform Canadians on national progress in learning. There is widespread acceptance that these are the keys to Canada’s prospects for competing successfully in a global knowledge-based economy.

In fact, the OECD has recently praised the Prime Minister for his support of CCL, and a groundbreaking CCL program - the Composite Learning index - is now being adapted for use in Europe.

Robert Giroux, chairman of CCL’s board of directors, says Canada must not retreat from the field of learning. “Other countries have moved ahead of us in the learning field,” he said. “CCL has provided this country with the critical knowledge that it needs to build sound policies, but now the promise of the future is seriously threatened.”

Though funded by government, CCL is an independent body, reporting freely and directly to all Canadians. The decision not to renew its funding will severely handicap an organization that has provided real and demonstrable learning benefits to individuals, families, and communities across Canada.

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About CCL

The Canadian Council on Learning is an independent, not-for-profit corporation. Its mandate is to provide evidence-based information to Canadians so they can make the best decisions about learning throughout all stages of life, from early childhood through to the senior years.

For more information please contact:

Sheena Powell
Communications
Canadian Council on Learning
613.786.3230 x221
spowell@ccl-cca.ca
www.ccl-cca.ca

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