High school dropouts cost taxpayers $1.3 billion annually
Study measures toll on social and criminal justice system
In recessionary times, government might be wise to consider investing in getting more Canadians to finish high school. According to a Simon Fraser University study, funded by the Canada Council on Learning, high school dropouts cost social assistance and criminal justice programs $1.3 billion per year. Using census data in its calculations, the study employed previous statistical models to come up with estimates. Each high school graduate would save about $4,230 in social assistance spending and $220 in criminal justice spending. According to the 2001 Census, there are 2,944,235 high school drop outs in Canada.
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