1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« Our intent in this chapter is to examine the selection of academic vs vocational pathways by a majority of students aged 9-18, none of who were attending a post-secondary institution when the […] data were collected in 1999. More specifically, we seek to answer the following question: Why do a significantly lower proportion of rural than of urban children plan on attending a university? » (p. 203)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
Data taken from the Survery of Approaches to Education Planning, by Statistics Canada.

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« [The authors] present an analysis of regional variations in educational plans made by parents. Their analysis is consistent with previous studies that have documented the greater likelihood of urban parents planning on a university education for their children. The analysis reveals that approximately 40 per cent of parents in rural and urban areas are actively saving, or intend saving at some future date, for their children’s post-secondary education. In terms of total amount of savings, there is little to distinguish between rural and urban parents. When the use of RESPs [Registered Education Savings Plan] is examined, the authors find that rural parents are more likely to employ such savings for female rather than male children, a finding that is reversed in urban settings. When school performance and school attitudes were examined, rural females were found to achieve better results in school and possess more positive attitudes regarding schoolwork. In the next stage of their analysis, the authors investigate the influence of socio-economic status (SES)—based on an index composed of parental levels of formal education and income—on children’s post-secondary expectations. Variations in university expectations by region, gender, and SES were examined. No differences in university expectations based on region and gender were found. However, in low and middle SES households, there was considerable variation, related for the most part to gender and region. The authors’ analysis also suggests that a larger proportion of parents living in rural communities anticipate that their child will need to leave home to pursue post-secondary studies. This is especially true when the rural child opts for a university education. More than twice as many rural parents indicated that their children would move away from the community to study at a post-secondary institution. Within low SES rural families, the indication that children will leave home becomes an especially good marker of university expectations. However, the increased costs of higher education mean this decision by rural parents likely will disadvantage them economically in future years. » (pp. 11-12 – introduction du livre)