Canada Needs National Standard for Its Universities and Colleges, Says Report

Canada needs to develop national standards to measure the quality of its higher-education system, according to the Canadian Council on Learning. In a report released today, the nonprofit organization points out that Canadians appreciate their public system but find it almost impossible to judge the quality of various institutions, partly because of jurisdictional differences. Education is a provincial responsibility in Canada, and colleges and universities can have different purposes, customs, and operations, depending on the province. The report says Canada would be likely to attract more foreign students if it had a set of national standards that indicated quality assurance. Noting that other countries have developed such standards, Paul Cappon, the council’s president and chief executive, said, “We have to do the same.”