Higher levels of per-student spending do not achieve higher student scores on standardized tests, either internationally or among the provinces, finds a new report by the Fraser Institute.“Just spending more on K-12 education does not lead to better student outcomes,” said Derek J. Allison, Fraser Institute senior fellow and author of School Spending and Performance in Canada and Other High-Income Countries.The study compares provincial per-student spending on K-12 education in 2018 (the last year of comparable data) to other high-income countries in the OECD and to performance on the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).It finds that higher per-student spending levels are not associated with stronger academic achievement. In fact, in 2018, ten countries — or one third — of the high-income OECD countries included in the analysis spent more per student than Canada but achieved significantly lower PISA scores.Similarly, among the provinces, Saskatchewan was the highest per-student spender but ranked eighth out of ten on PISA scores. Manitoba was the second-highest per-student spender and recorded the lowest PISA scores nationwide. Conversely, BC was the lowest spender per student in Canada and achieved the fourth-highest PISA scores..“The evidence is clear — simply spending more on established K-12 schools without finding new and better ways to help kids learn will not improve student outcomes,” Allison said.Per-student spending for 33 high-income OECD countries spans a substantial range from US$21,968 in Luxembourg to a low of US$6,551 in Lithuania. Luxembourg’s notably higher level of spending appears to be accounted for by substantially higher salaries for elementary and secondary teachers coupled with low teacher-to-student ratios. Canada occupies 14th place in the descending order of elementary and secondary spending among the 33 high-income OECD countries at US$11,771 per student, 6.7% above the average. Canada ranks fourth among G7 countries, sandwiched between the UK (US$12,171) and France (US$11,190), but well below first-ranked US (US$14,009). However, per-student spending in Saskatchewan ranked even higher at US$14,245. .In addition to top-spending Luxembourg and the fifth-ranked US, six other countries fall into top 25% of the distribution, Norway (US$15,994), Austria (US$15,227), Korea (US$13,969), Belgium (US$13,298) and Denmark (US$13,145).Five other countries are ranked between Denmark and Canada, including Sweden (US$13,136), Germany (US$12,796) and Australia (US$14,073)."Hence, while Canada is a prominent high-income country and a long-time G7 member, it is not among the countries spending the most on elementary and secondary education per student," the report explains."Canada is solidly located in the top quarter of PISA scores and the mid-range of both single-year and cumulative spending."The 33 high-income OECD countries spent an average of 3.4% of GDP on elementary and secondary education in 2018, ranging from 4.8% in Israel to a low of 2.3% in Ireland. Canada ranked 14th in descending order on this measure, spending 3.5% of GDP. This was roughly the same as the US and New Zealand, but less than fellow G7 members the UK (4.1%) and France (3.7%).The average PISA score for a Canadian student was 516.70. Students in Estonia (525.51) and Japan (519.99) received better test scores despite having a less expensive primary and secondary education.
