Rethinking Equity:A Great School for All

Equity: The Critical Driver of Educational Policy in Alberta

Stephen Murgatroyd, PhD FBPsS FRSA

“Inequality is the defining

challenge of our age”

President Barrack Obama, November 2013

ECONOMIC CONTEXT

Gatsby Curve(Miles Corak, 2013)

Why the Canadian Rich Don’t Want to Talk About Equity

Rising Inequality in Canada

$Top 10% of Earners

Average After Tax Income

$165,322

Increase Since 1980

34%

Bottom 10% of Earners

Average After Tax Income

$9,750

Increase Since 1980

11%

Youth Unemployment in Canada

• Rising inequality is a global phenomenon. The change in Canada has been above average when compared to other rich countries, and particularly notable for the increase in top 1%

• Income inequality has been rising in Canada since the early 1980’s – middle class decline, top 1% rising, number of poor growing.

• The tax-transfer system plays an important role in reducing inequality, but has not kept pace after about the mid 1990s.

Alberta – Not As Rich as You Think!

• Alberta has 16 per cent higher debt-to-income ratio than the Canadian average - 143 per cent compared with 127 per cent nationally.

• In Alberta, 148,000 non-elderly families and 84,000 children experienced income inequality in 2011. 29,800 of those children were below the age of 6.

• 59.2 per cent of children in poverty had at least one parent working full-time, full year

• According to Statistics Canada (2011), 300,000 Albertans fall below the low income (after-tax) cut-off – the measure of poverty.

• The Conference Board of Canada (2011) found that Alberta’s low-income rate increased from 6.6 to 9.9 per cent between 2009 and 2011.

• Over two-thirds of low wage workers in Alberta are women. More women work in low wage non-standard occupations than men, usually for low pay without any benefits and not qualifying for employment insurance

SOCIAL MOBILITY

5 Keys to Social Mobility for Alberta’s Young People

1. Base income equality – Canadians should have a living wage and be out of poverty (see Dauphin Manitoba experiment of the 1970’s)

2. Access to Early Childhood Education – socialization, play and development of language and social skills

3. Education – especially cognitive literacy, financial literacy and emotional intelligence

4. Resilience – as a coping and essential skill for all young people…

5. Adult mentor and coach – someone in their social network who acts as a coach, guide and mentor and shows compassion, acceptance, empathy, warmth and genuineness

ABOUT EDUCATION POLICY

Two Competing Educational Policy Frameworks

GERM• Higher expectations – targets• Education for All Through

Streaming• Personalized Learning• Core Subjects• Standardization• Testing and Test Based

Accountability• More Reform – Constant Change• Policy Based Evidence

EQUITY FOCUSED• Equity as a Driver• Broad Curriculum• Creativity and Innovation• Smart Assessment• A focus on Teachers and Teaching• Trust• Professional Responsibility• Learning from the Past• Evidence Based Policy

5 Big Challenges for Alberta

• Education of First Nations learners – seeking equity of outcomes, not just opportunity

• Building on equity as a basis for public policy and not being seduced by GERM

• Rural vs urban education in terms of equity – ensuring access to and success in a broad curriculum

• Inclusion and special needs• Education of boys – especially working class and

vulnerable boys..