Ontarians Agree with Harris Government's Initiatives For Education Reform

91% Agree That Ontario's Schools Should Have A Strict Code of Conduct On Student Behaviour

More Than Eight in Ten (86%) Agree That There Should Be Standard Province-Wide Tests For Students

Toronto, ON - An Angus Reid poll released today reveals that by and large, Ontarians agree with the Harris government's recent initiatives on education reform. Eighty percent of Ontarians agree that there should be compulsory and regular testing of teachers in Ontario's education system. Although 99 percent of Ontario teachers voted against the Ontario government's Bill 74 (which included a plan to make involvement in extra-curricular activities mandatory for teachers) Ontarians are divided (52% agree, 47% disagree) on this issue. Nonetheless, a slim majority (52%) say they agree that it should be mandatory for teachers to be involved in extra-curricular activities. An overwhelming majority (91%) agree that Ontario's schools should have a strict code of conduct on student behaviour and more than eight in ten (86%) agree that there should be standard province-wide tests for students.

These are the findings of an Angus Reid poll conducted between May 18 and May 25, 2000. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 525 adult Ontarians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 4.3 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 age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Ontario population according to the 1996 Census data.

Eight in Ten (80%) Ontarians Agree That There Should Be Compulsory and Regular Testing Of Teachers In Ontario's Education System

Eight in ten (80%) Ontarians agree that "there should be compulsory and regular testing of teachers in our education system".

This includes a majority (55%) who "strongly agree" with this statement and one-quarter (25%) who "somewhat agree". Only one in five (19%) disagree, with 12 percent who say they "strongly disagree", and 6 percent who "somewhat disagree".

• Agreement with this statement declines with age, from 88 percent among younger residents to 79 percent among middle aged and 72 percent among older residents.
• Residents with a university education (69%) are less likely to agree with teacher testing than those with less than a university education (85%).
• Those who earn $60K+ are less likely (74%) than those who earn less than $60K (85%) to agree with the statement.

Ontarians Divided (52% Agree, 47% Disagree) But Slim Majority Agree That It Should Be Mandatory For Teachers To Be Involved In Extra-Curricular Activities

Ontarians are divided (52% agree, 47% disagree) in regards to mandatory extra-curricular activities for teachers. A majority (52%) agree that "in addition to their current responsibilities, it should be mandatory for teachers to be involved in extra-curricular activities". Approximately three in ten (29%) "strongly agree" with this statement while nearly one-quarter (23%) "somewhat agree". In contrast, 47 percent disagree with this statement, including approximately three in ten (28%) who "strongly disagree" and one in five (19%) who "somewhat disagree" that it should be mandatory for teachers to be involved in extra curricular activities.

• Residents with a university education (38%) are much less likely to agree with this statement than residents with some post-secondary education (52%) or those with a high school education or less (67%).
• Similarly, high income residents (46%) are less likely than middle (53%) or low income (62%) residents to agree with mandatory extra-curricular activities.

91% Agree That Ontario's Schools Should Have A Strict Code of Conduct On Student Behaviour

Ontarians overwhelmingly (91%) agree that "Ontario's schools should have a strict code of conduct on student behaviour". Nearly three-quarters (73%) say they "strongly agree" with this statement, while about one in five (18%) "somewhat agree". Only 9 percent disagree (4% "strongly disagree", 5% "somewhat disagree") with a strict code of conduct on student behaviour.

• Residents aged 18-34 (87%) are less likely to than residents aged 55+ (95%) to agree with this statement.
• Residents with a university education (85%) are less likely to agree than those without a university education (94%).
• Ontarians earning $60,000 a year or more (85%) are less likely than those earning less than $60,000 (95%) to agree with a strict code of conduct on student behaviour.

More Than Eight In Ten (86%) Agree That There Should Be Standard Province-Wide Tests For Students

More than eight in ten (86%) Ontarians agree that "there should be standard province-wide tests for students." Six in ten (61%) "strongly agree" with this statement while one-quarter (25%) "somewhat agree". Only 14 percent disagree that there should be standard province-wide tests, including 8 percent who "strongly disagree" and 6 percent who "somewhat disagree".

• Women (81%) are less likely than men (90%) to agree that there should be standard province-wide tests for students.
• Ontarians with a university education (78%) are less likely to agree with province-wide testing as compared with those who do not have a university education (89%).

For more information on this news release, please contact:

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