Executive Summary
- While Manitoba spends a larger amount of its GDP on public school education than any other province, educational achievement remains average or below average.
- Enhancing parental choice by enabling them to send their children to any public or private school in the province would require schools to ensure a higher quality of provision.
- Charter school legislation has been successful in Alberta and could be implemented here.
- Manitoba should re-introduce standards testing in every grade level from 1-12.
- Data from the standards tests as well as graduation rates, attrition, and attendance would enable the province to publish an annual student achievement report that allows parents to compare schools.
- The province should fund education out of general revenue rather than property taxes.
- Allowing schools to stream students at an earlier age based on ability will result in more relevant programming for all students.
- A significant teaching shortage in high-demand subject areas could be addressed through reforms in certification programs and by merit pay for teachers.
- Recruiting more international students to fill schools with declining enrolments would bring in extra money to schools and their communities.
- With these reforms, the Frontier Centre believes that it is possible for Manitoba to have the best public school system in the country.
