Over the next eight weeks I will be looking at developed and less developed nations and comparing their governments, education systems, and their gender gap. By looking at these different nations I will hopefully be able to tell why some nations are struggling while others are advanced.
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| (Prime Minister of Canada, 2011) |
Today I'll be looking at Canada. As a resident of Canada I am well aware that we are a developed nation. This is partly due to our democratic government, which means that we are able to elect our Prime Minister instead of having an monarchy, or an appointed leader. The current Prime Minister is Stephen Harper, however Canada is currently in the election process, so by May 2011 he may no later be Prime Minister. At the moment the Conservative part is in the lead with voters (Election Almanac, 2011). If they stay in the lead Stephen Harper will once again be Canada's PM, which may cause some grumbling from Canadians. However, it seems that overall Canadians are not terribly unhappy with the government, thus there will be no large conflicts, like the ones we saw in Egypt recently.
As for the education system in Canada, it is fairly simple. It may differ slightly from province to province, but the main principles are similar. "All provinces and territories provide...free elementary and secondary schooling" (Schools in Canada, 2011), after secondary school, students are given the opportunity to attend university, college, and other career oriented schools. Post secondary schooling is costly, and many families find it difficult to pay for their children to attend. However, having free elementary and secondary schools sets Canada apart from many less developed nations. It also provides people the opportunity to reach a high degree of education, which will lead to more people obtaining well paying jobs. When more people are working there will be less homelessness and poverty, which attributes to Canada's developed nation status. Based on a 2006 survey (Vancouver Sun, 2010) Canada spent 6.1 percent on education. This was just above France's 6 percent, and just below the United States 7.6 percent. Overall, Canada's education system is relatively successful, but the high prices of post- secondary education leaves many Canadians annoyed (to say the least) especially those who are smart enough to attend, but lack the financial resources. To remedy this situation many post-secondary institutions offer scholarships and bursaries depending on grades and financial need.
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| (msnbc.com, 2008) |
Canada is a leader in "the promotion and protection of women's rights and gender equality" (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, 2011). Canada was one of the first nations to sign the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, 2011). Women in Canada are also able to attend the same schools as men and are not expected to simply stay home and attend to housework. In fact, it is now the norm in Canada for women to seek jobs outside of the home, which is a major difference from many less developed nations. Furthermore, women in Canada are able to control how many children they have through the use of contraceptives that are made available to all women. This allows women to have children when they want, and it also allows them to start their careers before they have children is they so wish. Women are also equal to men under the law, thus it is a criminal offence for a man to abuse a woman. There is still a gender gap in Canada, however it is much less than many nations, and it is constantly improving.
I'll leave you now with a short video highlighting Canada's many wonderful aspects.
