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Strategies for Success opens with the assertion that many of Canada’s hopes for future prosperity are pinned on education, especially post-secondary education (PSE) in its broadest sense—which includes not only public universities and community colleges, but also private institutes, apprenticeships, workplace training and even the informal learning many adults engage in throughout their lives.
Recognizing the important social and economic contributions of PSE, many countries—even countries with federal systems of government—have developed coherent and cohesive information systems and strategies for tertiary education, to guide their planning and policy-making processes.
Canada has taken no such steps.
Despite the undoubted past achievements of the PSE sector in Canada and the many fine qualities of our post-secondary institutions and educators, without a more coordinated approach Canada is not only failing to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of its PSE sector, but also risks falling behind countries that have national frameworks.
The contrast between Canadian incoherence and the national outlook of other OECD countries is captured in the following table.
Table 4.1.1 International overview of PSE processes and system-wide structures
*Available material not detailed enough to make conclusions at this time.
As this chart demonstrates, many federal systems have established explicit, transparent processes to enunciate specific nationwide goals and objectives, while recognizing the complexity of PSE and the individual roles of the various components within those systems. Almost all of the comparator countries have increased their focus on accountability issues and the need to provide an evidence-based analysis of performance, quality, progress and outcomes of their PSE sectors. In fact, most jurisdictions have put in place quality assurance bodies or agencies to design standards for quality and conduct ongoing, independent performance audits.
Setting and monitoring national goals and objectives involves the development of measures and indicators, as well as regular reporting on performance and progress toward achievement of the national goals. Accountability and benchmarking are not limited to PSE institutions, but encompass an overall assessment of a country’s PSE sector, in its entirety, in meeting national targets.
Part I of Strategies for Success identified a number of ways in which the effectiveness of Canada’s PSE sector is undermined by a lack of coordination and cohesion:
What, then, is the way forward for Canada? How can we better align our structure with ambitions for PSE in our society?
Clearly, given the growing need for skilled workers and knowledge workers, PSE is more important than ever before. Most developed countries have implemented national strategies and national quality programs to ensure their PSE sectors respond to the demographic, economic and social imperatives of the 21st century. Unless Canada takes similar steps, it risks falling behind.
Part IV of Strategies for Success is intended to spark a discussion on what should be included in a national framework and identifies who should be involved in that discussion. We also provide examples of three areas where a national framework is most urgently needed: quality assurance and accreditation; credit transfer; and prior learning assessment and recognition.
The 2006 report prepared by the Canadian Council on Learning, entitled Canadian Post-secondary Education: A Positive Record – An Uncertain Future, examined the current strategic plans of provincial and territorial ministries of higher education and training, finding convergence toward some common goals for PSE flowing logically from all these plans. The report identified eight key goals, analysed current data with respect to those goals at the national level, and concluded that the absence of a national PSE focus, agenda or strategy potentially jeopardizes Canada’s future prosperity.
The case for a pan-Canadian approach must be made in some detail and with some care. Certainly, some who support the notion that PSE is important to our future may question the conclusion that we require a national strategic approach. There is need for a dialogue as to why, how and who should and could actively advance a common, countrywide approach to post-secondary issues—in addition to the province-focussed approach that will naturally continue as a result of the way PSE is structured in this country.
With regard to process, the provincial focus has meant that Canada has never had a formal, structured, federal–provincial–territorial mechanism or forum for discussion of common or mutually interacting issues, goals and priorities. However, it should be noted that a number of cross-jurisdictional bodies and mechanisms have evolved, designed to bring together actors involved in several aspects of post-secondary education.
The question is whether the whole—represented by the combined efforts of the individual jurisdictions, plus the results of the various cross-jurisdictional mechanisms—provides an adequate response to the challenges confronting Canada in a highly aggressive global marketplace and quickly changing world. Or is the status quo less than the sum of its parts, in light of the growing expectations and pressures that now face Canadian PSE? Those who argue that a more coherent, cohesive and comprehensive approach is required would take the latter position.
Another key question is whether Canada’s future success can be ensured through the independent actions of individual jurisdictions, or whether there are some challenges that can be effectively addressed only by supplementing province-specific initiatives with pan-Canadian initiatives.
Part IV frames the discussion about a pan-Canadian approach by setting out three related, but distinct, issues:
This final section also sheds light on activities underway in several international jurisdictions, illustrating with concrete examples what can be done to advance post-secondary education— lessons Canada may be well-advised to heed in order not to slip further behind.
“Toward a Pan-Canadian Framework for PSE” concludes by examining some of the partners and mechanisms that could be involved in a national framework.
Part IV in full (PDF, 1.4 MB)
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