75th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
NEWS RELEASE – MINISTERS OF EDUCATION ISSUE REPORT ON EXPECTATIONS OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
The ministers responsible for education today released a report on public expectations for postsecondary education in Canada.
The Honourable Paul Ramsey, Chair of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), described the statement as a new and very important tool for policy making. "This is a timely statement of what we expect in terms of outcomes, as well as of what learners and society can expect of their universities, colleges, and technical institutes," said Mr. Ramsey, who is Minister of Education for British Columbia.
The statement was produced through a collaborative effort of nine provinces and one territory. There was also extensive consultation with education partners. Quebec and Yukon chose to have observer status in the development of the statement.
Saskatchewan acted as lead province for the project. "Canadians have very high expectations for postsecondary education today," said the Honourable Maynard Sonntag, Saskatchewan's Minister of Postsecondary Education and Skills Training. "My colleagues and I believe that this document, which is a groundbreaking work, provides a balanced and effective statement of what those expectations are."
"Canadians expect postsecondary education to be of high quality, to be broadly accessible, and to be relevant and responsive to changing societal and economic needs," stated Mr. Sonntag. "Education and research are vital for our prosperity, as individuals and as a country, in our knowledge-intensive age. Canadians appreciate this, and have high expectations."
The provinces, collaborating within CMEC, are continuing to work on projects related to mobility, research, and accessibility in postsecondary education.
"The statement will be used differently in each jurisdiction as best suits its needs," stated Mr. Sonntag. "But we will all benefit from this undertaking by learning from each other."
CMEC is an intergovernmental body made up of the ministers responsible for elementary-secondary and advanced education from the provinces and territories. Through CMEC, ministers share information and undertake projects in areas of mutual interest and concern.
Information:
Lara Inglis, CMEC
Tel.: (416) 964-2551, ext. 256
E-mail: lara@cmec.ca