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Foreward

The Canadian Education Association (CEA) is pleased to present its fourth report on public attitudes toward public education in Canada. Based on a survey of over 2,400 Canadians conducted between January and May 2007in partnership with researchers at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT), this report follows previous surveys commissioned by CEA in 1979, 1984 and 1990.

CEA believes that Canadians share a strong commitment to building vibrant public education systems that contribute to the growth and development of children and youth and cultivate their capacity to shape their lives, their communities, their workplaces and their country. In capturing a national picture of Canadians’ satisfaction and confidence in our education systems and their views on educational change, we believe this report contributes to the conversations we need to have to realize our goals for Canadian public education in the 21st century.

Over the years, CEA has explored different questions with Canadians through our national surveys, but their purpose has remained the same. With each survey since 1979, CEA has set out to examine and describe Canadians’ views about the quality of elementary and secondary education as a starting point for informed dialogue about public policy trends and issues in education across the country.

This year's report offers a number of new sections that did not appear in previous reports. An expanded section on education systems in Canada, a summary of public school indicators, and a brief outline of trends in educational reform provide readers with a context for reviewing the results of the 2007 CEA Survey that follow. This year, we also invited a diverse group of educational leaders from across the country to comment on different aspects of the survey results. These commentaries bring the data to life by demonstrating the types of discussions that can emerge from the survey results. We hope that these commentaries, along with the data itself, will inspire similar conversations among Canadians about the future of education in Canada and the qualities of a learning society that we desire for our children and for ourselves.

© Canadian Education Association 2009