The Education Statistics Program (ESP) and the Canadian Centre for Education Statistics (CCES) were established to support the production of high-quality and comparable Canadian education data. The CCES provides several nationally and internationally comparable indicators used to inform policy development, support research and provide a clearer understanding of the state of education in Canada.
Because education is a provincial and territorial responsibility, pan-Canadian education statistics rely on coordination rather than centralized authority. The resulting governance model is collaborative and multi-layered, involving federal, provincial, territorial (FPT) and international partners. The CCES relies on these governance structures to set priorities, address methodological issues and guide emerging initiatives that shape the ESP's delivery.
The objective of the evaluation is to provide a neutral, evidence-based assessment of the ESP's ongoing relevance and performance, including how well the program meets evolving information needs and contributes to the availability of high-quality education-related statistical information. The scope covers statistical data and insights in five thematic areas: early childhood learning, elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education, adult learning, and integrated education information.
Key findings, considerations and recommendation
ESP coverage provides a comprehensive and coordinated picture of education in Canada and aligns closely with user needs. The ESP's statistical data and insights are widely viewed as useful, offering national-level information across all learning pillars from integrated data sources and platforms such as the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP). Ongoing collaboration with education partners also helps ensure alignment with evolving needs and priorities.
Some coverage gaps remain, particularly in areas requiring more disaggregated data. The ESP's ability to address these gaps is influenced by several factors, including its reliance on FPT-driven priorities and data availability, the variety of surveys funded by one sponsor (Employment and Social Development Canada), and data from other sources (e.g., the Census of Population), all of which limit the program's responsiveness to emerging or specialized needs. Nevertheless, targeted efforts and partnerships have enabled new statistical data. Given the strong interest in integrated information, further integration of data sources, particularly through the ELMLP, could enhance the relevance of education statistical data and insights.
Overall, the ESP continues to provide high-quality statistical information, though its effective use is affected by several factors consistent with broader trends observed in other official statistics programs. Jurisdictional differences in data collection and reporting, along with declining response rates for certain voluntary surveys, present comparability and accuracy challenges. Timeliness issues and the complexity of accessing information, particularly through the ELMLP, also limit broader use of data in planning, policy and program contexts.
Pan‑Canadian governance structures support collaboration but face constraints. Reduced activity within senior-level governance forums has limited opportunities for priority setting, and the ability to advance shared priorities is affected by differing jurisdictional capacities, mandates and authority levels. While progress has been made in some areas through working-level coordination, advancement is more limited for initiatives without established governance mechanisms, including those related to the ELMLP.
The CCES's involvement across the education and labour market domains positions it well to support coordination. However, when multiple divisions interact with the same stakeholders, roles and points of contact can be unclear. Strengthening internal coordination would help ensure a more consistent stakeholder experience.
Budget pressures and reliance on a single major cost-recovery funder create vulnerabilities for long-term planning and the ability to address emerging needs. The discontinuation of funded products has contributed to coverage gaps noted by users. Workforce sustainability, particularly in areas requiring specialized expertise, further highlight the importance of succession planning and knowledge transfer practices to maintain program continuity and resilience.
Management considerations
To help strengthen pan-Canadian governance and support a more responsive delivery of education-related statistical information, the evaluation identified a few considerations that the assistant chief statistician (ACS), Social, Health and Labour Statistics (Field 8), may wish to reflect on.
At the strategic level, opportunities were noted for the CCES to leverage its unique position to foster more effective coordination and information sharing across FPT partners. Strengthening these practices could help address evolving information needs, including those related to timeliness and data gaps. For instance, management could explore opportunities to support the Strategic Management Committee's governance role in ways that would allow emerging priorities and issues to be reviewed more regularly and reflected in strategic direction and oversight.
In addition, given upcoming organizational changes and some stakeholders' lack of clarity regarding the respective roles of multiple divisions, management may wish to consider measures to clarify key points of contact and reinforce cross-divisional coordination. These steps could support greater transparency and contribute to a more consistent stakeholder experience and understanding.
Recommendation
Given the ELMLP's potential to increase data sources, broaden and deepen coverage, expand partnerships and user groups, and diversify funding, a formal recommendation focused on strengthening the platform was identified.
The ACS of Field 8 should ensure that the ELMLP's governance, engagement and analytical capacity are strengthened. Key actions should include
- revisiting the establishment of a governance body (e.g., composition, operations) and updating it to ensure appropriate representation and fit for purpose
- improving data users' and stakeholders' awareness of, and engagement with, the ELMLP to further support platform use and data interpretation
- continuing to work with stakeholders to prioritize integrated and analytical products that reflect the needs and priorities of data users, such as longitudinal data.