It’s the International Day of Education!

Today is the International Day of Education, an important day for remembering that education is a right for everyone. According to article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, elementary education must be free and compulsory. In addition, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which came into force on September 2, 1990, states that countries must make higher education accessible to all.

Education is also Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—and an essential component of the agenda’s 17 goals. 

However, 617 million children and adolescents don’t know how to read or do basic calculations, and yet this knowledge is fundamental to the transition into adulthood.

So, what about here in Canada?

In 2019/2020, 4,975,800 children were enrolled in regular programs at public elementary and secondary schools in Canada. Additionally, 425,679 children were enrolled in regular programs at private or independent elementary and secondary schools. The number of students enrolled in these programs has increased every year since 2015/2016.

What’s more, 37,287 children who were enrolled in regular elementary and secondary school programs were homeschooled during the same period, down from 38,298 in 2018/2019.

But how successful are students in graduating from high school? In 2015/2016, 79% of students in Canada finished high school within three years after starting Grade 10 (Secondary 3). This is called the “on-time” graduation rate. This rate increased 2 percentage points to 81% in 2017/2018.

With a bit more time to graduate, in 2015/2016, 88% of students had graduated from high school within five years after starting Grade 10. This rate increased 1 percentage point to 89% in 2017/2018.

International students in Canada

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada took in 184,624 immigrants in 2020, down by almost half from 2019, and the lowest number in any year since 1998.

The number of international students enrolled in colleges in Canada was 153,360 in 2019/2020, up 19.5% from one year earlier. Meanwhile, the number of Canadian students enrolled in colleges in Canada in the same period was 642,093, down 1.8%.

The same trend was observed for university enrolments. In 2019/2020, 1,142,091 Canadian students were enrolled in universities in Canada, down 0.4% from one year earlier, whereas the number of international students enrolled in universities in Canada in the same period was 235,422, up 10.2%. 

Life expectancy has increased almost everywhere in the world, and the same is true in Canada. The earnings premium associated with having a postsecondary degree is well documented, and, according to a recent study, Canadians with a higher level of education can expect to be healthy for a larger proportion of their lives than Canadians with a lower level of education.

In light of this information, promoting equitable, high-quality and inclusive education allows millions of people to improve their living conditions. Happy International Day of Education!