Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

Canadian Attitudes on Post-secondary Education

Poll Highlights

November 2006

This public opinion poll was undertaken to gain a better understanding of Canadians' attitudes, preferences and knowledge on a number of issues related to post-secondary education (PSE).

The poll asked Canadians about the following topics:

• Overall evaluation of post-secondary education in Canada
• Importance of PSE to society and the individual
• Access and barriers, in general and for specific groups
• Funding and financial barriers to education
• Purpose of education and relation to potential employment
• Post-secondary institutions' relations with and importance to communities
• Values and broader goals for education
• Priorities for change and the future of education

Key findings:

• 94% of Canadians strongly or somewhat agree that 'the pace of change in the world makes it more important than ever to ensure that people can get more education or training at any time of their life'
• 87% of Canadians agree that 'a highly skilled and educated workforce is the single most important thing Canada needs to ensure its economic future'
• 78% of Canadians believe that, compared to 10 years ago, getting a college or university education is more important
• 92% agree that 'we should not allow the price of a college or university education to keep students who are qualified and motivated from doing so'
• 91% agree that post-secondary institutions should work more closely with Canadian companies 'so that the research they do and the courses they offer are what our economy needs.'
• 59% of respondents believe that many qualified individuals don't have the opportunity to attend PSE
• Improving access to PSE was identified by the majority (52%) as the top priority for PSE, 30 percentage points ahead of the next item on the list
• 76% believe that qualified students from low-income families have less opportunity than other Canadians to attend PSE
• The cost of tuition and fees are somewhat over-estimated, particularly by those least able to afford post-secondary education
• 80% said that student debt is too onerous: older respondents (55+), women and residents of Atlantic Canada are much more likely to believe that the debt levels are too large; those from families with incomes over $80,000 are significantly less likely to think the debt load is too heavy
• 53% of poll respondents believe that getting a college or university education is more difficult today than it was a decade ago
• 65% of Canadians are satisfied that universities and colleges, as well as institutes of applied arts and technology, in their provinces are doing a good job
• Satisfaction levels differ by region: Quebec had the largest proportion of respondents giving an excellent or good rating while the Prairies had the highest percentage of 'excellent' rating
• Francophones and Quebecers give their PSE sector much higher ratings for accessibility, responsiveness and relevance than other Canadians
• Part-time and mature students were less satisfied with the post-secondary education sector than younger, full-time students
• There is strong support for education for its own sake, and for encouraging a range of personal values and social behaviours: 56% said that colleges or universities in their area are doing an excellent or good job of encouraging these values and behaviours
• Post-secondary institutions received the highest rankings for doing a good or excellent job of providing a high-quality education for students, followed by ensuring students have skills needed for jobs, making sure continuing education is available and undertaking academic research and innovation
• Approximately 90% of respondents said they could drive to a university or college within an hour of their homes; over 75% reported living within a 30-minute drive

The Canadian Council on Learning contracted Pacific Issues Partners, of Victoria, B.C., to conduct a public opinion poll to gain a better understanding of Canadians' attitudes, preferences and knowledge on a number of issues related to post-secondary education (PSE).

The polling firm administered a telephone questionnaire to a sample of 2,000 Canadians, aged 16 and over, between April 11 and 23, 2006.  The poll was carried out across all 10 provinces; no interviews were conducted in the three territories. Poll results are considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

This poll was designed, and its results analyzed, by Ian McKinnon of Pacific Issues Partners.  The Strategic Counsel/BBM conducted the fieldwork.

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