KEVIN MENZ
Associate News Editor

The Canadian Council on Learning released its annual Composite Learning Index this spring, which ranked approximately 4,500 Canadian communities on their ability to promote and sustain learning. The City of Saskatoon finished in second place, just behind Victoria, B.C.

The index studies four major sections of learning as determined by the CCL: “Learning to Know,” “Learning to Do,” “Learning to Live Together” and “Learning to Be.”

“Learning to Know” ranks citizens’ academic skills such as literacy, numeracy and critical thinking by examining youths’ performances in standardized testing, high-school drop-out rates, students enrolled and graduated from post-secondary institutes, the accessibility of schools and the amount of time spent in schools.

This section — “Learning to Know” — was the only poor section of Saskatoon’s evaluation. The city ranked below the national average and performed poorly in the index’s examination of youth academic skills — specifically in youth math, reading, science and problem solving skills.

Interestingly, Regina also yielded poor youth skills. Although any conclusions from these results should be taken cautiously, it could imply that the Saskatchewan primary and secondary school systems require certain reforms or that formal education is not a primary concern for some Saskatchewan families.

Nevertheless, this lack of standardized skill has not hindered the two major Saskatchewan cities from boasting top results and improvements from year to year. Regina has consistently placed within the top 10 cities for the last five years, while Saskatoon has seen the most significant increase in scores among the 4,500 communities the last three years.

Saskatoon’s major strengths lie in the “Learning to Live Together” and the “Learning to Be” sections.

The “Learning to Live Together” section explores how a community functions as a holistic society. It examines participation in social clubs, volunteerism, the amount of time spent helping religious organizations, the amount of time spent in libraries and exposure to diverse cultures. Saskatoon faired well above the national average, specifically because of its abundance of volunteers and its participation in clubs. This resulted in the ranking of the number one most socially engaged community in Canada.

The “Learning to Be” section ranks the city’s accessibility to — and use of — activities that enhance personal development. For instance, the city’s access to the Internet ranked third among all Canadian cities, while its exposure of citizens to reading, sports and the performing arts helped secure Saskatoon’s high ranking as the number two most cultured community in Canada.

Even in the “Learning to Do” section, which explores job-related skills such as management training and apprenticing, and the availability of and enrollment in workplace training, Saskatoon finished just above the national average.

While Saskatoon’s high ranking and constant improvement is something to brag about, the majority of Canada cannot be so boastful. From 2006-2008, Canada steadily increased its average learning performance. However, 2009 saw the first significant drop and with the release of the 2010 rankings, Canada’s overall learning is stagnant.

The CLI describes its major goal as the identification of “connections between learning conditions in a community, and the potential social and economic outcomes that can be affected by these conditions.” Therefore, as opportunities for learning decrease, “adult literacy, early childhood development, population health, voter participation, environmental responsibility, employment rates and average income” tend to be less prosperous.

However, this is not exactly a cause-and-effect conclusion. While learning opportunities greatly affect society and the economy, the economy and society can greatly affect learning opportunities. For instance, a recession can affect the number of citizens who attend post-secondary institutions, which can affect future job opportunities within that community. It seems, at the very least, the CLI rankings are a valuable tool in predicting future economic and social trends.

Fortunately for Saskatoon and its CLI ranking, the city appears to have an optimistic future — at least for the short term.