On Dec. 10, 2019, Statistics Canada released 2016-17 data on education indicators for all provinces and territories.

• Statistics Canada’s calculation of per-student education spending looks at capital and operating funding for all students in each province.
• In 2009-10, B.C.’s per-student spending was more than $700 below the national average.
• Under the previous government, the per-student funding gap reached almost $2,600 below the national average in 2016-17.
• At the same time, spending on public education as a percentage of gross domestic product declined from 3.7% in 2001-02 to 2.4% in 2016-17.
• Under this government, operating and capital funding has increased more than $1,600 per student from 2016-17 to 2019-20, when counting all students in public and independent schools.
• When counting funded full-time students in public schools only, the increase is more than $1,900 per student.
• This represents a growth of 19% in per-student funding over three years. Over the same time period, the national average is estimated at only 5%.
• This year, K-12 funding grows to a total of $6.6 billion — $1 billion more than the previous government provided in 2016-17.
• B.C. students are now attending some of the smallest classes in the history of the province, with more educators and other supports in the classroom.

(flickr.com)

Learn More:

Education Indicators in Canada: An International Perspective, 2019: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-604-x/81-604-x2019001-eng.htm