Immigrant Youth Get Higher Education in Canada
Recent research conducted by a Canadian professor has found that immigrant youth are more likely to get a post-secondary education in Canada than the children of non-immigrant Canadians. Professor Ross Finnie, who is the Director of the Education Policy Research Initiative at the University of Ottawa, has discovered that 86% of children who immigrate to Canada prior to age 15, as well as 84% of children born to immigrant parents in Canada, receive higher education beyond secondary/high school (e.g., at vocational school, community college, university, etc.), compared to 72% of the children of non-immigrant Canadians.
The study also revealed that immigrant youth in Canada were more likely to attend institutions of higher education regardless of the education or income levels of their parents. This is the opposite of what is usually expected, since children whose parents have higher levels of education and/or income tend to be more likely to get a post-secondary education than children whose parents have a lower level of education or income. Professor Finnie explains that immigrant youth in Canada are more likely to receive a higher education than children born of non-immigrant Canadian citizens, despite the education and/or income level of their parents, because immigrant youth see Canada as a country full of opportunities for immigrants and are they are, therefore, highly-motivated to succeed. Another key reason, according to Professor Finnie, is that Canadian education is more egalitarian and is widely available to people who live in Canada, no matter what their socioeconomic status.
It has been said that “education is the great equalizer” which basically means that through education, people can obtain better career options and the chance to improve their lives. Since Canada is an egalitarian, multicultural democracy, where men and women from different backgrounds have equal rights protected by law, and because Canadian citizens and permanent residents have access to many great educational opportunities, people who immigrate to Canada have everything they need to make their dreams come true. This is particularly the case if they are highly motivated to succeed in their new country and willing to work hard to achieve their goals.
