Gen A: Generation Alpha starts with children born in 2012 and will continue at least through 2025, maybe later (approximately 48 million people in the U.S.)
Gen Z: Gen Z is the newest generation, born between 1997 and 2012. They are currently between 9 and 24 years old (nearly 68 million in the U.S.)
As responsible parents, one of our biggest focus in life is to help ensure our children receive the best education possible. It does not matter if we live in the West or the East, we all share the same values – doing our best to help our children lead more productive, healthier, and prosperous lives than ours. And there is no better way to do this by ensuring they have a strong educational foundation.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) created the Programme International Student Assessment (PISA), which is an assessment designed to show how well students are able to apply the knowledge they have learned throughout their education. The PISA standard is used around the world since 2000 and the tests are given every three years.
15-year-old students in Grade 10 are tested for proficiency in math, reading, and science. They are evaluated for their ability to comprehend their readings, work through math problems, and use reasoning to explain scientific phenomena. These rankings are an excellent indicator of the quality that educational systems offer.
Out of the 79 countries that participated, Canada ranked 6th for reading scores, ahead of the United States (13th), the United Kingdom (14th), New Zealand (12th), Ireland (8th), and Australia (16th). In fact, Canada performed the best of all five of these countries in every aspect of the test, including mathematics and science. In math, Canada ranked 12th, above Ireland (21st), New Zealand (27th), The United States (37th), the United Kingdom (18th), and Australia (29th). And, in science, Canadian students ranked 8th, again well ahead of Ireland (22nd), New Zealand (12th), the United States (18th), the United Kingdom (14th), and Australia (17th).
PISA tests students’ abilities to solve problems, rather than on reciting and memorizing facts learned in school. Students who consistently score better on PISA test often perform better over time and are well equipped to tackle problems creatively and efficiently.
It is clear based on the facts shown above that Canada has outperformed all of the English speaking countries globally in both reading and in math and science. Why is this so?
The excellent results achieved by Canadian students can be explained by the quality of the teaching staff, the capacity to integrate non-English speakers, the expertise in bilingual education, the focus on thinking and understanding rather than covering contents, a pedagogical approach based on inquiry and a genuine will to know students well and personalize learning so that all students can find their own path and reach their full potential.
Bilingualism is also key as Canada is the only major English speaking country that requires students to study both English and French. Being bilingual can improve a person’s multitasking skills, attention control, memory, problem solving and creativity as it promotes outside-the-box thinking. The effects of bilingualism can help improve a child’s educational development, cognitive functions, social skills, literacy, and emotional skills that have positive effects for many years to come. Of course, there are many other benefits, such as awareness of other cultures and international career opportunities. Studies have also shown that bilingual children regularly outperform monolingual children in a number of subject areas.
With decades of global experience in paving the way for quality education programs, Andre Nudelman, chairman of ICA and Entrepreneur in Residence at Stanford Graduate School of Education, is the former co-owner and President of Maple Bear Schools Latin America, with headquarters in Canada. The brand’s Canadian identity is part of ICA’s narrative and is a symbol of quality education, effective practices, continuous improvement combined with a caring and open-minded mindset.
In addition, ICA offers a unique education model, in partnership with the Canadian Public Education System, the Richmond School District, and with Digital Media Academy (DMA), the top quality STEM program founded by Mr. Nudelman in 1999 and in Silicon Valley. DMA programmes are offered at DMA’s Tech Camps at top universities, including Stanford, Harvard, NYU, UCLA, and other leading universities in North America. ICA schools are also authorized to use the International Comprehensive (IC) competency-driven learning framework focusing on the lifelong growth of every learner through an inquiry-based approach.
Want to learn more about the International Canadian Academy master franchise opportunities for your country, contact info@vffranchiseconsulting.com now. There has never been a better time to own an education business that is resistant to any economic downturns.
Author: Sean T. Ngo is the CEO and Co-Founder of one of Asia’s leading franchise consultancy and brokerage, VF Franchise Consulting. He is Vietnamese American and has been happily based in Vietnam for nearly 18 years. You can reach him at sean@vffranchiseconsulting.com or info@vffranchiseconsulting.com.
