HIGH-SCHOOL DROPOUT RATES FALL DRAMATICALLY

TORONTO, Nov. 3 /CNW/ - High-school dropout rates in Canada have fallen dramatically over the past two decades, according to a report released today by the Centre for Education Statistics. The overall rate has been cut in half, from 16.6 per cent in 1990-91 to 8.5 per cent in 2009-10 — or from roughly one in six students to one in 12.

The article released by the Centre for Education Statistics, "Trends in dropout rates and the labour market outcomes of young dropouts," provides data by province. It shows that high-school dropout rates have fallen significantly in all provinces. The high-school dropout rate is defined as the share of 20- to 24-year-olds who are not attending school and who have not graduated from high school.

It also shows that while young men continue to have higher dropout rates than young women, the gender gap has narrowed, as the share of young men dropping out has fallen more dramatically. The dropout rate for young men fell from 19.2 per cent in 1990-91 to 10.3 per cent in 2009-10, while that for young women fell from 14.0 per cent to 6.6 per cent in the same period.

Also of note:

• Despite improvements throughout the country, dropout rates were persistently higher outside of big cities, in the territories, and among Aboriginal youth. Currently, the dropout rate for First Nations people living off-reserve, Métis, and Inuit is 22.6 per cent, over two and a half times that for non-Aboriginal people.
• The unemployment rate for high-school dropouts aged 20 to 24 was more than double that for high-school graduates of the same age, and the gap widened during the deepest part of the economic downturn. The downturn hit those with lower levels of educational attainment the hardest.

"Ministers of education are pleased to see the progress Canadians have made in reducing high-school dropout rates," said the Honourable Diane McGifford, Chair of CMEC and Manitoba's Minister of Advanced Education and Literacy and Minister responsible for International Education. "But we will work to ensure that we continue to make improvements every year and, in particular, that we tackle the problems of those with the highest dropout rates, especially Aboriginal youth."

About CMEC

Founded in 1967, CMEC is the collective voice of Canada's ministers of education. It provides leadership in education at the pan-Canadian and international levels and contributes to the fulfillment of the constitutional jurisdiction for education conferred on the provinces and territories. For more information, visit us at www.cmec.ca.

About Statistics Canada's Centre for Education Statistics

Statistics Canada's Centre for Education Statistics develops surveys, provides statistics, and conducts research and analysis relevant to current issues in education, training, and literacy. Its program is developed in consultation with the Canadian Education Statistics Council (a partnership of Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada) and other education stakeholders.

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