I see on the front page of the T&T Bernard Lord is being honoured for all his hard work in the area of education. A couple of years ago I was at an event where Premier McKenna was heralded for his transformational education system overhaul.
In my old age I am not as cynical about this stuff anymore. I suspect that old Bernie must have done something to deserve the accolades but the data is still showing NB at or near the bottom in Canada across all PISA test scores (2009 is the most recent).
The table below right out of the latest Stats Can release. If you click here you will see similar rankings for math and science. You will also see that we have gotten worse on most metrics between 2000 and 2009. Now, I know some people grumble about the PISA methodology but we are still at or near the bottom across the board.
Where is the improvement?
| Estimated average scores of 15-year-old students, reading assessment, by combined reading scale and reading sub-scales, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Canada and provinces, 2009 | ||||||
|
|
PISA 2009 |
|||||
|
estimated |
standard error |
95% confidence interval |
||||
| Combined reading scale | ||||||
| Canada |
524 |
(1.5) |
521 to 527 |
|||
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
506 |
* |
(3.7) |
499 to 513 |
||
| Prince Edward Island |
486 |
* |
(2.4) |
481 to 490 |
||
| Nova Scotia |
516 |
* |
(2.7) |
510 to 521 |
||
| New Brunswick |
499 |
* |
(2.5) |
494 to 504 |
||
| Quebec |
522 |
(3.1) |
516 to 528 |
|||
| Ontario |
531 |
* |
(3.0) |
525 to 536 |
||
| Manitoba |
495 |
* |
(3.6) |
488 to 502 |
||
| Saskatchewan |
504 |
* |
(3.3) |
498 to 511 |
||
| Alberta |
533 |
(4.6) |
524 to 542 |
|||
| British Columbia |
525 |
(4.2) |
516 to 533 |
|||
| Reading aspects subscale | ||||||
| Accessing and retrieving | ||||||
| Canada |
517 |
(1.5) |
514 to 520 |
|||
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
501 |
* |
(3.8) |
493 to 508 |
||
| Prince Edward Island |
481 |
* |
(2.5) |
476 to 486 |
||
| Nova Scotia |
506 |
* |
(3.3) |
499 to 513 |
||
| New Brunswick |
487 |
* |
(3.1) |
481 to 493 |
||
| Quebec |
515 |
(3.6) |
508 to 522 |
|||
| Ontario |
523 |
* |
(3.1) |
517 to 529 |
||
| Manitoba |
496 |
* |
(3.8) |
489 to 504 |
||
| Saskatchewan |
501 |
* |
(3.7) |
494 to 508 |
||
| Alberta |
522 |
(4.5) |
513 to 531 |
|||
| British Columbia |
516 |
(4.5) |
507 to 524 |
|||
| Integrating and interpreting | ||||||
| Canada |
522 |
(1.5) |
519 to 525 |
|||
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
502 |
* |
(3.7) |
495 to 509 |
||
| Prince Edward Island |
482 |
* |
(2.3) |
477 to 486 |
||
| Nova Scotia |
514 |
* |
(2.9) |
509 to 520 |
||
| New Brunswick |
499 |
* |
(2.6) |
494 to 504 |
||
| Quebec |
521 |
(3.3) |
515 to 528 |
|||
| Ontario |
528 |
* |
(3.0) |
522 to 533 |
||
| Manitoba |
493 |
* |
(4.0) |
485 to 501 |
||
| Saskatchewan |
502 |
* |
(3.5) |
495 to 508 |
||
| Alberta |
532 |
* |
(4.8) |
522 to 541 |
||
| British Columbia |
522 |
(4.6) |
513 to 531 |
|||
| Reflecting and evaluating | ||||||
| Canada |
535 |
(1.6) |
532 to 538 |
|||
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
519 |
* |
(3.3) |
512 to 525 |
||
| Prince Edward Island |
497 |
* |
(2.3) |
492 to 501 |
||
| Nova Scotia |
527 |
* |
(3.0) |
521 to 532 |
||
| New Brunswick |
505 |
* |
(2.3) |
500 to 509 |
||
| Quebec |
525 |
* |
(3.3) |
518 to 531 |
||
| Ontario |
546 |
* |
(3.2) |
540 to 552 |
||
| Manitoba |
504 |
* |
(4.0) |
496 to 512 |
||
| Saskatchewan |
517 |
* |
(3.5) |
510 to 524 |
||
| Alberta |
546 |
* |
(4.4) |
537 to 554 |
||
| British Columbia |
536 |
(4.2) |
528 to 544 |
|||
| Reading text formats subscale | ||||||
| Continuous texts | ||||||
| Canada |
524 |
(1.5) |
521 to 527 |
|||
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
508 |
* |
(3.8) |
501 to 516 |
||
| Prince Edward Island |
486 |
* |
(2.4) |
481 to 490 |
||
| Nova Scotia |
516 |
* |
(2.9) |
511 to 522 |
||
| New Brunswick |
500 |
* |
(2.5) |
495 to 505 |
||
| Quebec |
519 |
(3.2) |
512 to 525 |
|||
| Ontario |
532 |
* |
(3.1) |
526 to 538 |
||
| Manitoba |
497 |
* |
(4.0) |
489 to 505 |
||
| Saskatchewan |
506 |
* |
(3.2) |
500 to 512 |
||
| Alberta |
533 |
* |
(4.7) |
524 to 543 |
||
| British Columbia |
524 |
(4.5) |
515 to 533 |
|||
| Non-continuous texts | ||||||
| Canada |
527 |
(1.6) |
524 to 530 |
|||
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
511 |
* |
(3.8) |
503 to 518 |
||
| Prince Edward Island |
490 |
* |
(2.4) |
485 to 494 |
||
| Nova Scotia |
518 |
* |
(2.8) |
513 to 524 |
||
| New Brunswick |
492 |
* |
(2.4) |
487 to 497 |
||
| Quebec |
523 |
(3.5) |
516 to 529 |
|||
| Ontario |
534 |
* |
(3.3) |
527 to 540 |
||
| Manitoba |
498 |
* |
(3.5) |
491 to 504 |
||
| Saskatchewan |
506 |
* |
(3.5) |
500 to 513 |
||
| Alberta |
539 |
* |
(4.7) |
529 to 548 |
||
| British Columbia |
531 |
(4.0) |
523 to 538 |
|||
| * The difference between the estimated average score for the province and that for Canada is statistically significant (p < 0.05). | ||||||