Education is fundamental to building a strong economy, reducing poverty and creating an inclusive environment where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed.
From June 27 to 29, 2024, G7 education ministers met in Trieste, Italy, to discuss the importance of quality, inclusive and equitable education systems and lifelong learning opportunities. Acting on behalf of Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds, Parliamentary Secretary Élisabeth Brière participated as co-chair for Canada, together with Manitoba's Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning, Nello Altomare.
Parliamentary Secretary Brière reaffirmed Canada's commitment to research, innovation and post-secondary education as critical to ensuring the success of current and future generations in a changing society and labour market. The 2024 federal budget allocated more than $4.6 billion to strengthen Canadian research and innovation, including an additional $1.3 billion to keep post-secondary education affordable, and $825 million over five years to increase graduate-level research scholarships. This builds on the combined total of $38.4 billion in up-front grants and interest-free loans the federal government has issued since 2016, which has supported an average of 638,000 post-secondary students each year.
The Parliamentary Secretary also noted the federal government's continued support for the significant work and ongoing investments of the provinces and territories to further improve the quality, inclusiveness and equitability of their education systems, for which they have responsibility. This has included building a Canada-wide early learning and child care system and a National School Food Program to help ensure all children can get the best possible start in life.
Additionally, the Parliamentary Secretary noted that ensuring people living in Canada are equipped with the right skills necessary to succeed in the workplace of the future is critical, especially as we move toward a net-zero economy. This is why the Government of Canada continues to invest in job training initiatives such as Skills for Success, helping individuals acquire the skills needed for an evolving labour market.
Minister Altomare and Parliamentary Secretary Brière noted that education has a direct impact on the realization of all human rights and is a primary driver of progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the United Nations 2030 Agenda. They also noted that ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education is essential for economic and social prosperity across the country and contributes to the well-being of Canadians in every province and territory.
