StatsCan: 20 per cent of teenagers not pursuing education

As youth across the country head back to school today, a report by the Canadian Education Statistics Council and Statistics Canada suggests one in five Canadian teenagers were not pursuing a formal education in 2008. According to the report, about 20 per cent of teens between 15 and 19 years old were not attending school. Percentages varied from province to province, and estimates for rates in the territories ranged from 25 to 34 per cent. The percentage of Canadian teens not in school was higher than the world average of 15 per cent, recorded by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a group made up of 31 countries. The report also confirmed that employment and earnings prospects “increase strongly” with higher education: in 2008, the employment rate for Canadians aged 25 to 64 who had not completed high school was 58 per cent, compared to 83 per cent of college and university graduates.

Vancouver Sun