Albertans' Perceptions Of The Education System Take A Turn For The Worse
The percentage who say public education is working well (57%) in the province has dropped 10 points since February 2003 76% of Albertans say that the Alberta government is currently spending "not enough" on public education Nine-in-ten (90%) Albertans agree that "class size makes a big difference in the quality of education delivered at public schools"
Edmonton, AB -- According to a recent survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA), Albertans are divided over how well public education is working in the province. While a majority (57%) still says the system is working well, this measure has dropped 10 points since February 2003. Meanwhile, 41% say the system is not working well (up 9 points since February).
When it comes to the issues of funding and class size, three quarters (76%) of Albertans say that the Alberta government is currently spending "not enough" on public education and nine-in-ten (90%) Albertans agree that "class size makes a big difference in the quality of education delivered at public schools."
These are the findings of a survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of the Alberta Teachers' Association between May 22nd and 27th, 2003. The poll was conducted using the Alberta Reid Omnibus and is based on a randomly selected sample of 800 adult Albertans. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Alberta been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Alberta population according to the most recent Census data.
The percentage who say public education is working well (57%) in the province has dropped 10 points since February 2003
A majority of Albertans (57%) say public education in the province is currently working well (11% "very well" and 46% "fairly well"). However, the proportion who say this has dropped ten points since three months ago (February 2003) when 67% of Albertans said the system was working well. In contrast, 41% say public education is not working well (27% "not very well" and 14% "poorly"). This is up nine percentage points since February 2003.
Currently, three-quarters of Albertans (76%) believe the provincial government is currently spending "not enough" on public education. Two-in-ten (20%) say the Alberta government is spending the "right amount" and very few Albertans (3%) believe the provincial government is currently spending "too much" on public education.
Most Albertans (90%) agree class size makes a big difference in the quality of education delivered at public schools in the province. A majority (69%) "strongly agree" with this statement and two-in-ten (21%) "moderately agree". On the other hand, one-in-ten (9%) disagree with the notion that class size makes a big difference in the quality of education delivered at public schools (6% "moderately disagree" and 4% "strongly disagree").
Peter Weylie
Senior Research Manager
Ipsos-Reid Corporation
403.512.0135
When it comes to the issues of funding and class size, three quarters (76%) of Albertans say that the Alberta government is currently spending "not enough" on public education and nine-in-ten (90%) Albertans agree that "class size makes a big difference in the quality of education delivered at public schools."
These are the findings of a survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of the Alberta Teachers' Association between May 22nd and 27th, 2003. The poll was conducted using the Alberta Reid Omnibus and is based on a randomly selected sample of 800 adult Albertans. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Alberta been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Alberta population according to the most recent Census data.
The percentage who say public education is working well (57%) in the province has dropped 10 points since February 2003
A majority of Albertans (57%) say public education in the province is currently working well (11% "very well" and 46% "fairly well"). However, the proportion who say this has dropped ten points since three months ago (February 2003) when 67% of Albertans said the system was working well. In contrast, 41% say public education is not working well (27% "not very well" and 14% "poorly"). This is up nine percentage points since February 2003.
- Men (62%) are more likely to say public education in the province is currently working well than are women (52%).
Currently, three-quarters of Albertans (76%) believe the provincial government is currently spending "not enough" on public education. Two-in-ten (20%) say the Alberta government is spending the "right amount" and very few Albertans (3%) believe the provincial government is currently spending "too much" on public education.
- Women (84%) are more likely than men (69%) to say the Alberta government is not spending enough on public education in the province.
- Albertans between the ages of 18 and 34 (84%) and aged 35 to 54 (79%) are more likely to remark that the provincial government is currently spending "not enough" on Alberta's public education system than are their older counterparts (62% among those aged 55 years and older).
Most Albertans (90%) agree class size makes a big difference in the quality of education delivered at public schools in the province. A majority (69%) "strongly agree" with this statement and two-in-ten (21%) "moderately agree". On the other hand, one-in-ten (9%) disagree with the notion that class size makes a big difference in the quality of education delivered at public schools (6% "moderately disagree" and 4% "strongly disagree").
- Women (93%) are more likely than men (87%) to agree class size makes a big difference in the quality of education delivered at public schools.
- Agreement with this statement tends to decline with age (96% "agree" among those aged 18-34 years, 91% "agree" among those aged 35-54 years, and 83% "agree" among those aged 55 years and older).
Peter Weylie
Senior Research Manager
Ipsos-Reid Corporation
403.512.0135
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