Presentation made in 2014 on equity in Alberta focused on education.

1. Rethinking Equity:
A Great School for All
Equity: The Critical Driver of
Educational Policy in Alberta
Stephen Murgatroyd, PhD FBPsS FRSA

2. “Inequality is
the defining
challenge of our
age”
President Barrack Obama,
November 2013

3. ECONOMIC CONTEXT

4. Gatsby Curve
(Miles Corak, 2013)

5. Why the Canadian Rich Don’t Want to
Talk About Equity

6. Rising Inequality in Canada
Top 10% of Earners
Average After Tax
Income
$165,322
Increase Since 1980
34%
Bottom 10% of Earners
Average After Tax Income
$9,750
Increase Since 1980
11%

7. Youth Unemployment in Canada

8. • Rising inequality is a global phenomenon. The
change in Canada has been above average when
compared to other rich countries, and
particularly notable for the increase in top 1%
• Income inequality has been rising in Canada
since the early 1980’s – middle class decline, top
1% rising, number of poor growing.
• The tax-transfer system plays an important role
in reducing inequality, but has not kept pace after
about the mid 1990s.

9. Alberta – Not As Rich as You Think!
• Alberta has 16 per cent higher debt-to-income ratio than the Canadian
average - 143 per cent compared with 127 per cent nationally.
• In Alberta, 148,000 non-elderly families and 84,000 children experienced
income inequality in 2011. 29,800 of those children were below the age
of 6.
• 59.2 per cent of children in poverty had at least one parent working fulltime, full year
• According to Statistics Canada (2011), 300,000 Albertans fall below the
low income (after-tax) cut-off – the measure of poverty.
• The Conference Board of Canada (2011) found that Alberta’s low-income
rate increased from 6.6 to 9.9 per cent between 2009 and 2011.
• Over two-thirds of low wage workers in Alberta are women. More women
work in low wage non-standard occupations than men, usually for low pay
without any benefits and not qualifying for employment insurance

10. SOCIAL MOBILITY

12. 5 Keys to Social Mobility for Alberta’s
Young People
1. Base income equality – Canadians should have a living
wage and be out of poverty (see Dauphin Manitoba
experiment of the 1970’s)
2. Access to Early Childhood Education – socialization, play
and development of language and social skills
3. Education – especially cognitive literacy, financial literacy
and emotional intelligence
4. Resilience – as a coping and essential skill for all young
people…
5. Adult mentor and coach – someone in their social
network who acts as a coach, guide and mentor and
shows compassion, acceptance, empathy, warmth and
genuineness

13. ABOUT EDUCATION POLICY

14. Two Competing Educational Policy
Frameworks
GERM
• Higher expectations – targets
• Education for All Through
Streaming
• Personalized Learning
• Core Subjects
• Standardization
• Testing and Test Based
Accountability
• More Reform – Constant Change
• Policy Based Evidence
EQUITY FOCUSED
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Equity as a Driver
Broad Curriculum
Creativity and Innovation
Smart Assessment
A focus on Teachers and Teaching
Trust
Professional Responsibility
Learning from the Past
Evidence Based Policy

15. 5 Big Challenges for Alberta
• Education of First Nations learners – seeking
equity of outcomes, not just opportunity
• Building on equity as a basis for public policy
and not being seduced by GERM
• Rural vs urban education in terms of equity –
ensuring access to and success in a broad
curriculum
• Inclusion and special needs
• Education of boys – especially working class and
vulnerable boys..