Setting the Stage: Overview of Data on Teachers and Students in Rural and Urban Canada

Abstract

With new analyses of Statistics Canada data from the census and the annual Labour Force Survey and other sources, we examine the trends and current situation of teachers and students in rural (versus urban) Canada. The research literature documents concern about the ability of rural communities to attract and keep experienced teachers and closures of small rural schools. After considering trends in the number of school-aged children, the number of graduates from Bachelor of Education programmes in Canada, and the number of teachers hired in Canadian schools, we present details of the employment situation of rural and urban teachers. We find few overall rural–urban differences in teacher employment experience, including various measures of “teacher turnover”, which perhaps reflects the strength of teacher unions. However, there are important differences among rural areas, with those areas farthest from urban centres showing more teacher mobility. Looking at the important intersection of Aboriginal Identity and rural location, we discover that much of the well-documented overall rural–urban difference in high school dropout rates reflects the differential distribution and the complex situation facing those with an Aboriginal Identity. Implications for research and policy are briefly explored. (Detailed charts by province are available in Bollman, 2020.)