Two-thirds (68%) of Canadians are Concerned about Labour Unrest Related to the Elementary Public-School System;
Majority (71%) Agree Teachers Should Not Have the Right to Strike

Toronto, ON - Two in three (68%) Canadians are `concerned' (30% very/38% somewhat) about `labour unrest like work-to-rule, strikes and lockouts' as they relate to the elementary public-school system, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Global Television, the second instalment of a six-part series on education. On the other hand, one in three (32%) are `not concerned' (7% not at all/25% not very). Concern is highest in British Columbia (79%) and Ontario (74%), but lower in Quebec (66%), Alberta (58%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (55%) and Atlantic Canada (52%).

Canadians appear to favour a situation where teachers are prevented from striking. Seven in ten (71%) `agree' (36% strongly/35% somewhat) that `teachers should be considered an essential service - and therefore should not have the right to strike'. Three in ten (29%) `disagree' (8% strongly/21% somewhat) with the idea of designating teachers an essential service. Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (76%), Ontario (74%), and Quebec (73%) are most likely to agree that teachers shouldn't have the right to strike since they provide an essential service.

Canadians also believe that teachers should not only be giving out grades but receiving them also. Three quarters (77%) `agree' (31% strongly/46% somewhat) that `teachers should be graded by principals, parents and students on their effectiveness', while one quarter (23%) `disagree' (5% strongly/17% somewhat) with this point of view. Albertans (83%), Ontarians (81%), and Atlantic Canadians (81%) are most likely to agree that teachers should be graded on their effectiveness.

One area of contention that typically surfaces in negotiations between boards and unions is the existence of Professional Development days - days off for students but meant to give teachers time for training, grading, or preparation.

Canadians are fairly evenly split on whether these days should continue to exist or not: nearly half (44%) `agree' (17% strongly/27% somewhat) that `Professional Development days should be eliminated from the school year calendar', while a slim majority (56%) `disagree' (23% strongly/33% somewhat) that they should be done away with. Those with kids in the household are twice as likely to disagree (65%) as agree (35%) that PD days should be abolished. Half (50%) of Albertans and Atlantic Canadians agree PD days should be eliminated, followed closely by Quebecers (46%). Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (70%), Ontario (58%), and British Columbia (58%) are most likely to disagree that PD days should be eliminated from the school year calendar.

Specialized Schools...

The data reveal that Canadians support the idea of specialized schools operating within the context of the public-school system, but only in certain instances:

• Eight in ten (79%) `support' (25% strongly/54% somewhat) arts or vocation-based schools, while two in ten (21%) `oppose' (6% strongly/15% somewhat) the existence of these types of schools. Residents of Ontario (82%), British Columbia (80%), and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (79%) are most supportive of arts or vocation-based schools, while Atlantic Canadians (26%), Quebecers (25%), and Albertans (25%) are most opposed.
• Three quarters (76%) `support' (30% strongly/46% somewhat) schools that focus solely on children with special needs, while one quarter (24%) would `oppose' (7% strongly/18% somewhat) this kind of school. British Columbians (83%) are most supportive of special needs schools, followed by residents of Ontario (76%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (76%). Those most opposed to these types of schools hail from Atlantic Canada (32%), Alberta (28%), and Quebec (26%).
• A majority (56%) `supports' (13% strongly/42% somewhat) language-based schools operating within the public-school system, while a minority (44%) `opposes' (20% strongly/24% somewhat). Quebecers (59%), Atlantic Canadians (58%), and British Columbians (57%) slightly edge the remaining provinces in their support language- based schools, although nearly half of Ontarian (47%), residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (46%), and Albertans (45%) oppose a separate schools based on language.
• Just four in ten (39%) `support' (13% strongly/27% somewhat) faith-based schools operating within the public-school system, compared to most (61%) who `oppose' (31% strongly/30% somewhat) with this concept. Even in Ontario, which currently funds both public schools and Catholic schools, more oppose (57%) than support (43%) with faith-based schools operating within the public-school system. 57% of British Columbians and Albertans also oppose with the operation faith-based school, with Quebecers (70%) and Atlantic Canadians (70%) most likely to oppose this type of school. Half (50%) of Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents, however, support the idea of having faith-based schools.
• Three in ten (31%) `support' (8% strongly/23% somewhat) gender-based schools operating in the public-school system, while most (69%) `oppose' (33% strongly/35% somewhat) such schools. A majority (51%) of Quebecers support creating gender-based schools, while a vast majority of Atlantic Canadians (78%), Ontarians (76%), residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (76%), British Columbians (72%), and Albertans (71%) oppose the creation of such schools.
• Only one in ten (10%) `support' (3% strongly/7% somewhat) race-based schools, while the vast majority (90%) `oppose' (63% strongly/26% somewhat) this kind of school. Residents of Quebec (93%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (92%), and Atlantic Canada (90%) are most opposed, while 15% of British Columbians and 12% of Albertans are most supportive of race-based schools, although not by much compared to the national average. In Ontario, most (89%) oppose this kind of school - one of which operates in the GTA.

Global Television's Grading Our Schools section: http://www.globalnews.ca/topics/gradingourschools/index.html.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between August 20th to 27th, 2012, the second of a six-part series on education commissioned by Global Television. For the survey, a sample of 1,569 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, respectively, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.324.2002
[email protected]

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