Kennedy Releases National Learning Strategy

Liberal Leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy released his vision for a national learning strategy today.

Kennedy says the policy will create a Canadian Advantage to provide opportunities and access to education for all.

Full details in the news release below.

********************

Canada needs a comprehensive National Learning Strategy or it will fall behind competitor countries, said Liberal Leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy today.

While speaking to an audience of students at Queens University, Kennedy referenced the OECD's most recent report, which indicated that although education is becoming more vital to economic and social progress, Canada is being far outstripped by much larger post-secondary funding and enrolment increases in competitor countries. Total enrolment has risen in Canada by only four percent since 1995, compared to an OECD average gain of 49 per cent.

"I have seen firsthand how other jurisdictions around the world are jumping ahead," said Kennedy, who also served as Ontario's former Minister of Education. "If ever there was an issue of national interest vital to our future economic development in the 21st Century, it would be creating a Canadian Learning Strategy."

Kennedy noted that one of the reasons Canada is losing ground to its competitors is the fact that it remains the only OECD country without a National Learning Strategy. Kennedy is promoting a stronger education system as one of key elements of how Canada can assure good jobs in Canada in the face of global competition.

"Its time for a real National Learning Strategy to ensure that every child has the same access and opportunity for success no matter what part of the country they are born, said Kennedy. "For Canada to compete internationally we must adopt national standards and aggressively pursue and education advantage for every Canadian student."

The Learning Strategy is based on the foundation that the federal government needs to support each of the provinces to a much greater extent and more effectively deal with its own responsibilities in respect to aboriginal people, child care and skills training.

Kennedy's Learning Strategy proposes aggressive targets for improvement:

- A comprehensive early learning program with 300,000 early childhood education new spaces and higher quality by 2010, rising to 500,000 in 2015

- The OECD has found a shortage of available regulated child-care spaces in Canada. There are spaces available for fewer than 20 per cent of children aged six years and younger with working parents. In the U.K., 60 per cent of children find regulated child care; in Belgium, 63 per cent; in France, 69 per cent; in Denmark, 78 per cent.

- Triple the rate of progress for aboriginal people to be on track to the same outcomes as other Canadians within 10 years, working with aboriginal communities and organizations, provincial governments and learning institutions

- Resources for grants, research and provincial transfers to eliminate the gap with the United States in support for universities and colleges in return for Pan-Canadian standards linked to international standards for our colleges, universities and apprenticeship programs

- Provide Canadians with access and quality assurances for post-secondary education - embodied in a new post-secondary education act

- Increase the numbers of masters and doctoral graduates by 10% per year for next five years Kennedy also outlined plans to develop Canada's international character and capacity:

- Triple the number of Canadians who can study abroad
- Increase number of Canadians who can speak French or English as a second language and the number who can speak a third language through a new federal International Languages Program
- Increase international students by 40 per cent by 2012
- Develop more sophisticated recognition programs for international credentials Kennedy also addressed the need for a National Skill Training and Apprenticeship strategy:
- National effort to change attitudes about apprenticeship - encouraging more Canadian students to seek apprenticeship opportunities
- Develop capacity to meet national needs through domestic programs and bridge programs for new immigrants
- Create special encouragement for women who are only 9 per cent of enrollees
- Enhance literacy programs for adults
- Develop new programs to give 2nd and 3rd opportunities for older workers to retrain at a college or university


"The federal government's job is to work in partnership with the provinces to arrive at how both jurisdictions will support an overall strategy for Canada in global competition," said Kennedy.

Kennedy, who has considerable experience in the not-for-profit sector, is widely credited for bringing positive results to education in Ontario, where he served as education minister - including peace and stability through first-ever four-year teacher agreements, smaller class sizes, increase in test scores after years of flat line and new high school programs to provide every student with a good outcome.

********************