The Canadian Council on Learning provided a Composite Learning Index (CLI) as a measure of learning across 4,700 Canadian cities to compare progress at the local and national levels. CLI has been found to correlate with greater economic and social success in an area. St. Catharines, as the only Niagara city with a population over 100,000 had an overall score of 79 in 2006 and 77 in 2008, which was the same as the rating for Canada and below that of Ontario, and many of the larger cities in Canada.
The provinces of Alberta (86), British Columbia (82) and Ontario (80) and many cities within those provinces scored highest across Canada, while rural areas and small towns and cities scored lower, especially in the Eastern Canada. Niagara’s smaller towns and cities of under 100,000 were included in the data from across Canada for a combined CLI score of 74 in 2006, below the ratings for Canada, Ontario and the city of St. Catharines which had a higher rating of 78 in 2008.
Table 10 Canadian Learning Index 2008 (www.ccl-cca.ca)
City/ Area |
CLI Score |
Learning to KNOW |
Learning to DO |
Learning to LIVE |
Learning to BE |
City of St. Catharines |
77 |
4.8 |
5.9 |
5.0 |
5.2 |
Smaller towns and cities |
78 |
5.2 |
5.4 |
5.4 |
5.7 |
Canada |
77 |
5.0 |
5.3 |
4.8 |
5.6 |
Ontario |
80 |
5.6 |
5.6 |
5.5 |
5.8 |
City of Hamilton |
76 |
5.2 |
5.7 |
5.3 |
5.0 |
City of London |
82 |
5.2 |
5.8 |
6.3 |
5.9 |
Kitchener |
89 |
5.3 |
6.4 |
5.8 |
7.4 |
- LEARNING TO KNOW – school-based learning include indicators: student skills in reading, math and problem solving; secondary school drop-out rates; completion of university program; attendance at post-secondary institution.
- LEARNING TO DO – work-related learning include indicators: adult participation in job-related training; availability of training in the workplace.
- LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER – community and interpersonal learning include indicators: volunteering; charitable donations; and spending on memberships and organizations.
- LEARNING TO BE – personal development include indicator: spending on reading materials, on the internet, sports and arts including spending on museums. Source: http://www.ctf-fce.ca/pdf/TheCanadianLearningIndex.pdf and http://www.ccl-cca.ca/ccl/reports/cli?Language=EN
Rating: 2