School

I am tired of the right-wing in Canada clamouring for us to copy the United States. They push for cuts to government spending, and for lower taxes.

Perhaps it has to do with the USA managing to have a higher GDP per capita than we do here. In terms of world rank, we are number 22, with a GDP of just over $38000 per person.

In comparison, the USA ranks higher at number 13, with a GDP of just under $46000 per head.

We should seek to emulate them, or so the right-wingers say.

If this is so, why shoot so low? Should we not attempt to copy whatever nation fills the number 1 slot?

I believe we should emulate the number one country on earth.

The highest per person GDP on earth is almost $146000 per year. The country to achieve this is Liechtenstein.

Isn't that interesting? A country with universal heath care is the richest on earth.

I wonder what their education system is like. They have a primary school pupil/teacher ration of 7.84 and a secondary school ratio of 10.67. In this type of ratio, smaller is better.

The USA has figures of 14.29 and 14.49 respectively.

Canada has a primary ratio of 17.42 and secondary of 18.8.

The USA is richer than us, and provides more teachers than we do. Lichtenstein is vastly richer than us and provides about twice as many teachers to its children as Canada.

Let's average each country's figures and make a comparative example.

A Canadian school with 250 students would be staffed with 14 teachers. A same-sized American school would have 17 teachers. The same school in Liechtenstein would be staffed by 27 teachers.

I bring this all up as my province is currently experiencing an education strike. The government refuses to allow any discussion about limits on class sizes. They keep talking about being unable to afford to do so. Of Canada's ten provinces we currently have the highest number of students per teacher. It is three pupils per teacher above the national average.

A 250 students school in BC would only have 12 teachers.

They say we cannot afford more, and yet continue cutting taxes on the wealthy, and on corporations.

Looking at both the United States and Liechtenstein I'd say we can't afford less.