Canada: An Education Superpower - Essay Sample

Introduction

Canada is an "education superpower," along with some other countries, such as Finland and Singapore. Over the years, the country has encouraged and continues to encourage its citizens to obtain the highly needed education required for the growth of its economy. Innovations and technological advancement are released when a society is educated. In Canada, the education process is provided through public and private processes. These two systems have gone a long way to provide quality education to Canadians however, a significant number of Canadians believe that the private education system is much better than the public education system (Coughlan 2). The paper is going to attempt a justification of this claim by bringing out some similarities and differences that exist between the two strategies, some of which include: price, admission process, government control, teachers' qualification, and classroom size.

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One of the main differences between these two systems is the price charged on the learners. The public institutions get their funding from the government, meaning that what the students are supposed to cover regarding the tuition fee is minimal. Also, students are given textbooks in public centers as opposed to the private facilities that require their learners to purchase them (Kennedy 3). All these make public education less expensive compared to private institutions.

Another difference between the two systems lies in the admission process. In the private education system, it is more challenging to get admitted compared to the public system. Not all students are allowed into these institutions, and in some cases, they are required to take interviews set up by the institutions to ensure that only the best are selected (Grossbergn 3). Their classes are smaller in size; this increases the interaction between the tutors and the students. Therefore, the chances of a pupil succeeding are higher since the teachers manage to attend to the needs of every learner (Leporen 1). On the other hand, in the public education system, students are not admitted selectively since the system considers the needs and requirements of all students. They have larger class sizes that accommodate more students than the private system, and this makes it difficult for a tutor to spend the required amount of time with each student. Hence; limited tutor and student interaction may result in compromised education quality.

The private education systems do not require development funding, and this means that the institutions following such a regime are not restricted in their program development or curriculum. Their budgets are not affected by the limitations placed by a state, meaning that they are allowed to develop their curriculum (Kennedy 3). If parents agree with the philosophical, intellectual, and religious basis that is introduced by the school management, then the institutions can manage to run their affairs in a completely different way from that of the public entities. The lack of government interference gives an advantage over the entities controlled by the authorities.

The public education tutors are undertaking a rigorous training process that ensures that they are highly qualified to implement the training process. They are supposed to have a bachelor's degree in education. The government offers the training process and ensures that only the best are employed in the teaching service (Bidabadi et al. 170). Additionally, the government posts them to the various training stations around the country and caters to their salaries. However, with the private education systems, the trainers are not always highly qualified. They are not necessarily required to have a Bachelor's degree (Ross 1). They source their salaries from private individuals who are the school owners or the persons that have employed them, such as the parents.

Some similarities exist between the private and public education systems. This can be seen in the age at which the pupils begin school, regardless of school type. In Canada education requires that students attend the training process from an early age. They begin with kindergarten, and they can learn up to the post-secondary level, such as colleges and universities. The school year for most of the institutions begins at the start of September until June the following year, accumulating to a total of 10 months (Hyslopn 2). However, some of them go year-round while others begin in Mid-August to the end of May the following year.

Both the private and public education system has a primary role, and that is to help lower the illiteracy levels in Canada. When students are enrolled in either of these systems, the main idea is to become knowledgeable and access institutions of higher learning (Marc and Chingn 6). Getting to colleges and universities means that the learners will manage to get the highest possible qualification in a given sector and this will make them competitive in the job market.

The safety of students is an issue that both the private and public education institutions ensure that it is realized. Access to buildings is strictly monitored while the student population is closely observed to avoid, for an issue that can cause problems and place the security of learners at risk. The private and public entities have a great desire to ensure that they raise a disciplined set of students (Kennedy 3). They are all required to follow the state laws and the regulations set by the schools. Therefore, anyone that breaks these laws is punished by the learning institutions while in other cases the crime may be handled by state and this is based on the wrongs that they have committed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the public and private education systems in Canada are useful for eradicating the illiteracy levels in the country. The move ensures that the education systems get to produce highly qualified personnel that can manage to support the economy. The two systems ensure that they have a disciplined set of learners, and their security is usually guaranteed. Physical restrictions and metal detectors are used to prevent any unauthorized access by outside parties. Their primary desire is to ensure that students continue with their education process. However, they seem to post differences, such as their class sizes. The private institutions have smaller rooms, and they have a restrictive system that they utilize to admit students.

Works Cited

Bidabadi, NahidShirani, et al. "Effective teaching methods in higher education: requirements and barriers." Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism vol. 4, no. 4, 2016, pp. 170.

Coughlan, Sean. "How Canada Became an Education Superpower." BBC News. 2017. Web. 4 Dec 2019.

Grossberg, Blythe. "What Do Private School Admissions Committees Look For?" 2019. Web. 4 Dec 2019.

Hyslop, Katie." Public Education 'School Fees': A Look at What Parents Are Paying Across Canada." 2017. Web. 05 Dec 2019.

Kennedy, Robert." Comparison of Private and Public Schools." ThoughtCo., 2019. Web. 4 Dec 2019.

Marc, Frenette and Ching, Chan." Why Are Academic Prospects Brighter for Private High School Students?" 2015. Web. 5 Dec 2019.

Lepore, Jessica." Statscan Explains Why Private School Students Perform Better." The Globe and Mail. 2015. Web. 5 Dec 2019.

Ross, Wayne. "Comment: Are Private Schools Better than Public Schools? Perception versus Reality." Times Colonist. 2019. Web. 4 Dec 2019.