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Education Spending in Public Schools in Canada, 2020 Edition

Spending on public schools in Ontario increasing faster than national average



Spending on public schools in Ontario increasing faster than national averageTORONTO—Spending on public schools in Ontario increased 3.1 per cent per student in recent years, surpassing the national average, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Contrary to what we often hear, spending is on the rise in Ontario’s public education system, and it’s increasing at a faster rate than in other parts of the country,” said Jason Clemens, Fraser Institute executive vice-president and co-author of Education Spending in Public Schools in Canada, 2020 Edition.
The study finds the total amount spent on the province’s public schools increased by more than nine per cent, from $25.5 billion to $27.9 billion, from 2012/13 to 2016/17, the most recent year of available Statistics Canada data. This spending increase occurred while student enrolment declined by approximately 24,500 students. This is part of the reason why per student spending is increasing; even small increases in spending get amplified when the number of students declines. In fact, after adjusting for inflation and enrolment changes, per student spending increased by 3.1 per cent over the same five-year period, which was higher than the national average increase of 2.9 per cent. By comparison, while Ontario spent $13,894 per student in 2016/17, Quebec spent $11,543 per student that same year. “In critical policy discussions, especially those that affect our children’s education, it’s important to understand exactly what’s happening with public education spending,” Clemens said. “In Ontario, the evidence is clear—spending on public education, after adjusting for inflation and enrolment changes, has increased over the past few years.” Media Contact: Jason Clemens, Executive Vice-President, Fraser Institute Tegan Hill, Junior Economist, Fraser Institute To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Bryn Weese, Fraser Institute bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org

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Fraser Institute -- Bio and Archives

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit fraserinstitute.org.

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