A FAILING GRADE FOR ONTARIO'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

Toronto, Ontario - An Angus Reid/Globe and Mail/Global Television survey of Ontario residents released today indicates that only one-third (37%) feel that today's high school graduates have solid reading and writing skills. Furthermore, a majority (54%) of Ontarians are not satisfied with the overall state of the public education system and six in ten (59%) think that funding for public schools should be increased. Private schools are perceived to be better at educating their students than public schools. Two-thirds (66%) of Ontarians agree that private school students receive a much better education than public school students.

These are the findings of an Angus Reid/Globe and Mail/Global Television poll conducted between February 8th and February 15th, 2000. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Ontarians. The results are within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Ontario population 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 Ontario population according to the 1996 Census data.

Only one-third (37%) of Ontarians feel that today's high school graduates have solid reading and writing skills
Ontarians feel that high school graduates are lacking even the basics. Only one-third (37%) agree with the statement, "today's high school graduates have solid reading and writing skills". Of this group, only one in ten (10%) "strongly agree" and one-quarter (26%) "somewhat agree". Sixty-one percent disagree with the statement including three in ten (32%) who "strongly disagree" and a similar number (29%) who "somewhat disagree". This feeds the perception among most Ontarians (60%) that high schools do not do a good job of preparing students for the workforce. Only 38 percent agree that "high schools do a good job of preparing students for today's workforce". This includes only 6 percent who "strongly agree" and 32 percent who "somewhat agree". Three in ten (30%) "strongly disagree" while the same number (30%) "somewhat disagree" with the statement.

• Younger Ontarians (45%) are far more likely than middle aged (35%) and older Ontarians (28%) to agree that high school graduates have solid reading and writing skills.
• Men (41%) are more likely than women (33%) to agree that high school graduates have solid reading and writing skills.
• Ontarians with some post-secondary education (33%) are less likely than those with a high school education (40%) and those with a university education (41%) that high schools do a good job of preparing students for today's workforce.

More than half (54%) of Ontarians are dissatisfied with the overall state of the public education system
More than half (54%) of Ontarians report they are dissatisfied with the overall state of the public education system in the province. Only four in ten (43%) report they are satisfied while 3 percent say they "don't know". Further reflecting Ontarians' dissatisfaction with the state of the public education system, 45 percent believe children in public schools are "getting a worse education than they would have 25 years ago", one-quarter (26%) believe children in public schools are getting a "better education", and 25 percent believe that the quality of the education in public schools is "the same".

• High (46%) and middle (43%) income Ontarians are more satisfied with the education system than low income (36%) Ontarians.
• The level of satisfaction with education does not vary by age or gender.
• The perception that education today is worse than 25 years ago does not vary by demographics.

Six in ten (59%) feel that funding for public schools should be increased
Most Ontarians think the government should spend more on public schools. Six in ten (59%) say funding for public schools "should be increased from current levels", while one-third (37%) say funding "should be maintained at current levels". Only 2 percent of Ontarians say funding should be "cut back".

• Ontarians with a university education (66%) are much more likely than Ontarians without a university education (56%) to think that funding for public schools should be increased.
• Younger residents (68%) are much more likely than middle aged (59%) and older Ontarians (49%) to believe that funding for public schools should be increased.

Two-thirds (66%) agree that students in private schools receive a much better education than students in public schools
Further underlying Ontarians' views that public schools are performing poorly, two-thirds (66%) agree that "students in private schools receive a much better education than students in public schools". Underlying this sentiment are one-third (33%) who "strongly agree" and one-third (33%) who "somewhat agree". In all, only one-quarter (27%) disagree with the statement, including one in ten (10%) who "strongly disagree" and 17% who "somewhat disagree". Ontarians are divided about whether or not teachers are adequately trained. A majority (54%) disagree while 44 percent agree with the statement, "teachers are not adequately trained to carry out the job that is required of them". There is greater intensity among those who disagree. The percentage who "strongly disagree" (24%) is nearly double the percentage who "strongly agree" (13%) that teachers are not adequately trained.

• Ontarians with a high school education (70%) are slightly more likely than those with a post secondary education (65%) and those with a university education (63%) to agree that private school students receive a better education.
• Similarly, those with a high school education (51%) are more likely that those with a post secondary education (46%) and those with a university education (33%) to agree that teachers are not adequately trained to carry out the job that is required of them.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Angus Reid
(416) 324-2900