- About Youth Vital Signs
- Who We Are
- Background
- Key Findings and Grades
- Arts Scene
- Going Green
- Poverty
- Youth Voice
- Youth Spaces
- Health and Well-being
- Youth Housing and Homelessness
- Education and Learning
- Safety
- Employment and Training
- Transportation
- Culture, Identity and Belonging
- Mobile Text Survey
- Grader Profile
- Differences Among Us
- Youth in Action
- Links to Community and Resources
- Find Us
Key Findings and Grades - Education and Learning
FAST FACTS
Big Debt
Tuition fees for B.C. undergrads averaged $5,040 per year in 2008-09, up 6.4% since 2004-05. B.C. was the province with the second highest percentage of borrowers from Canada Student Loans – 17.7% – in 2004-05. The average B.C. full-time student loan was $5,261.
Source: The Daily: University Tuition Fees, Statistics Canada, 2008, and Canada Student Loans Program Annual Report 2004-05, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Curriculum Conundrum
Vancouver has one of the highest rates of high school graduation in the province. But we’re not that pleased with the quality of our education. Only 39% of us report being satisfied with what we’re learning, less than the provincial satisfaction rate of 48%.
Source: B.C. Ministry of Education Student Statistics
Big Classes
Class size is one of our major concerns. In 2008, the average number of students in a Vancouver high school classroom was 25.6 students. The provincial average is slightly less, at 24.4 students in a high school class.
Source: B.C. Ministry of Education, January 2008
YOUTH IN ACTION
Take a Hike
Getting out in nature can be a life-changing experience. Take a Hike is an alternative education program for at-risk youth age 15 to 19 that mixes academics with outdoor adventure, counselling with community involvement. A partnership between Vancouver School Board and Take a Hike Foundation, this program offers a breath of fresh air for youth who have struggled with the system.
www.takeahikefoundation.org