VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Higher levels of per-student spending do not achieve higher student scores on standardized tests, either internationally or among the provinces, finds a new report published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Just spending more on K-12 education does not lead to better student outcomes,” said Derek J. Allison, Fraser Institute senior fellow and author of School Spending and Performance in Canada and Other High-Income Countries.
The study compares provincial per-student spending on K-12 education in 2018 (the last year of comparable data) to other high-income countries in the OECD and to performance on the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
It finds that higher per-student spending levels are not associated with stronger academic achievement. In fact, in 2018, 10 countries—or one third—of the high-income OECD countries included in the analysis spent more per student than Canada but achieved significantly lower PISA scores.
Similarly, among the provinces, Saskatchewan was the highest per-student spender among the provinces but had only the 8th best PISA scores. Manitoba was the second highest per-student spender and recorded the lowest PISA scores nationwide. Conversely, British Columbia was the lowest spender per student in Canada and achieved the fourth-highest PISA scores.
“The evidence is clear—simply spending more on established K-12 schools without finding new and better ways to help kids learn will not improve student outcomes,” Allison said.
| Provincial per-student spending (2018) compared to core PISA score | ||
| Province | Spending | Core PISA score |
| Saskatchewan | Highest spender | 8th |
| Manitoba | 2nd | Lowest PISA score |
| Alberta | 3rd | Highest PISA score |
| Nova Scotia | 4th | 5th |
| Ontario | 5th | 3rd |
| New Brunswick | 6th | 9th |
| Quebec | 7th | 2nd |
| P.E.I. | 8th | 7th |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 9th | 6th |
| British Columbia | Lowest spender | 4th |
MEDIA CONTACT:
Derek Allison, Senior Fellow
Fraser Institute
To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:
Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute, (604) 688-0221 Ext. 721
drue.macpherson@fraserinstitute.org
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org
