FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2025 

TORONTO and WATERLOO – People for Education and the Centre for Leading Research in Education (CLRiE) at Wilfrid Laurier University are proud to announce the launch of the Annual Canadian School Survey (ACSS), a first-of-its-kind national survey to track the real-life impacts of education policy and funding decisions in schools across the country. 

The ACSS was developed in partnership with the Canadian Association of Principals, Manitoba Council of School Leaders, Ontario Principals Council, and other principal and vice-principal organizations across Canada. The survey will provide evidence on differences and similarities across the country on things like staffing issues, student and staff mental health, schools’ policies on AI and phones, and classroom complexity. 

For more than 25 years, People for Education conducted the Annual Ontario School Survey, which allowed more than 1,000 principals each year to tell the stories of their schools. Over the years it became a vital resource for policymakers, educators, researchers, and the public. Building on that success, the new Annual Canadian School Survey replaces the Ontario survey, expanding it to every province and territory, in partnership with CLRiE and in collaboration with provincial and territorial principals’ Councils, the Canadian Association of Principals and academics from universities across Canada. 

Why a national survey matters 

Canada is facing unprecedented challenges—from climate change to polarization, mental health crises to technological disruption. Public education is one of the country’s most important assets in preparing the country and the next generation to meet these challenges. But as the What Do We Know About Canadian Schools? report highlights, Canada lacks accessible, timely, and comparable pan-Canadian data about its schools.  

“Every school in Canada has its own unique successes and challenges, and the more schools we hear from, the better we can understand the current state of education across the country,” said Annie Kidder, Executive Director of People for Education. “The Annual Canadian School Survey will fill a critical gap in our knowledge and strengthens Canada’s ability to ensure public education lives up to its promise.” 

In its first year, the ACSS will provide insights into key areas that matter to school leaders, educators, students, families, and communities, including staffing and resources; complex classrooms; mental health and well-being; nutrition; cell phone restrictions, technology access and workplace learning opportunities in secondary schools.  

Fragmented data presents challenges 

The launch coincides with the release of a new report, What Do We Know About Canadian Schools?,[link to be added to report] co-authored by ACSS co-directors Dr. Christine Corso and Dr. Kelly Gallagher-Mackay of Wilfrid Laurier University, and Annie Kidder, Executive Director of People for Education.

The report  – based on based on a Canadian scan of data currently collected across Canada related to children and youth, publicly funded K-12 school systems – found that while Canada has some strong examples of provincial, territorial, and national data collection, significant challenges persist in ensuring that education data is complete, timely, comparable, and accessible. The authors suggest that to fully realize the potential of public education as a driver of equity, health, and prosperity, Canada requires a more coherent and coordinated approach to collecting, publishing, and linking education data.

Building a pan-Canadian dialogue  

The new Annual Canadian School Survey is designed to foster evidence-based policy and to support cross-country learning at a time when Canada’s 13 education systems often operate in silos. 

“Too often, Canadian policy decisions are informed by research from other countries,” said Dr. Kelly Gallagher-Mackay, Co-Director of the ACSS and Associate Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. “With the Annual Canadian School Survey, we are creating a tool that reflects Canada’s unique context and contributes directly to a national dialogue about public education.” 

Earlier this year, People for Education launched The Education Promise – a bold five-year, pan-Canadian initiative grounded in the belief that public education is one of Canada’s greatest, but under-recognized, assets for long-term resilience and prosperity. “The Annual Canadian School Survey is a powerful step in delivering on The Education Promise,” said Paris Semansky, People for Education’s Director of Systems Change. “By generating pan-Canadian, evidence-based insight, the ACSS will build our shared understanding of the strengths and challenges being experienced in Canadian schools and, in turn, the kinds of policy needed to support change.”   

The Annual Canadian School Survey and What Do We Know About Canadian Schools? are supported thanks in part to multi-year support from RBC Foundation. Ongoing and multi-year funding from The O’Neil Foundation also makes this work possible. 

Call to principals 

Principals in publicly funded schools across Canada are invited to participate in the first Annual Canadian School Survey, helping to ensure their schools’ realities are part of this important national picture. To receive the survey, please email the team at: [email protected] 

About People for Education
People for Education is a national independent, non-partisan, charitable organization working to support and transform public education through evidence-based research and policy, advocacy, and public engagement. Founded in 1997, PFE champions the role of public education in advancing a healthier, more sustainable, economically resilient and democratic Canada.    

About the Centre for Leading Research in Education (CLRiE)
The Centre for Leading Research in Education at Wilfrid Laurier University brings together researchers, educators, and policymakers to generate evidence that supports stronger, more equitable education systems across Canada. 

Media Contact:
Paris Semansky  

Director of Systems Change, People for Education
[email protected]
416-476-9534