Let us for a moment imagine a future map of Canada.

This map will not be dotted with roads and railroads, nor lakes and rivers.  Rather, it will be covered with highways of information, streams of knowledge that crisscross the nation, intersect in large hubs, and swell into giant clusters.  These hubs and clusters will be Canadian cities and regions, filled with Universities, colleges, art schools, technical institutes, laboratories and research centres.  In each of those institutions will be the resource that dictates the prosperity, success and fulfillment of future generations:  the human mind.

Seeing matters in this light, it becomes easier to understand not only why we must begin to invest in post-secondary education now, but also why all levels of government must be involved.

As a former educator, I was pleased to learn that the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) presented former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien with the David C. Smith Award for Significant Contribution to Scholarship and Policy. The award recognizes his lifelong dedication and commitment to the advancement of research and higher education in Canada.  What is remarkable is that under Mr. Chrétien's 10-year watch, funding for research quadrupled – from approximately $500 million in 1994 to over $2.2 billion in 2003. 

While Chrétien was Prime Minister, his Government established a number of strategies and programs in the areas of Research & Development (R&D), innovation, academic excellence, and student finance such as the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation and Genome Canada.   These programs were intended to augment already existing federal R&D programs to provide Canadian students greater access to post-secondary institutions, and to further escalate and elevate Canada’s position in the global economy.  Some years later, it can be said that each program has been a tremendous success, further allowing Canadians to lead lives of health, security and prosperity.

These examples illustrate the opportunities governments have to invest in critical areas, even in times of economic uncertainty.  Prime Minister Chrétien and his Government had the foresight to invest in knowledge and innovation, knowing full well that such investment would pay off in the long-term. 

The formula for Canada’s future success is therefore really quite simple: education equals productivity, and productivity equals prosperity.

We are now living in the 21st century.  We are fully aware of the fragility of the global economy, and even more cognizant of the power of the human mind to transform lives, communities, nations and societies.   To approach this issue slowly, or parochially, is to ensure that the future of Canada is one of global pretender, rather than one of global player.

I watched Prime Minister Harper form his new cabinet the other day.  His website claims that this new cabinet has been “charged with protecting Canadians in a time of increasing global economic instability.”

This to me seems like a reactive stance, rather than a proactive one.

What is needed now is not only sound economic management, but wise and prudent investments in select areas.  By no means am I an economist, but there is no doubt in my mind that smart investments are a critical productivity driver, and post-secondary education should be one of those chosen areas in which we should invest.

Interestingly, I recently read some statements made by Minister Flaherty indicating that the Government sees investment in R&D as a priority, even in uncertain economic times.  Prime Minister Harper also created a new junior cabinet position, Minister of State (Science & Technology) and appointed an MP from the Waterloo region (home of the University of Waterloo, Research in Motion, etc).  Presumably, the new Minister will work alongside the Minister of Industry in directing Canada’s science, R&D and innovation strategies.  In my view, both these developments are positive signs that the Government takes these issues seriously.

But as always, the proof is in the pudding.  

It’s not enough to just say that R&D, knowledge and post-secondary education are a priority, or to simply create a cabinet position and call it a day.  Rather, what we need are positive actions and an investment in more than simply words and time.  What is most needed is an investment of dollars and other resources.

Bottom line:  If Canada wishes to remain a significant competitor in the global economy, it must move quickly in implementing public policy aimed at increasing our productivity and post-secondary attainment rates.   The effect of a post-secondary education is no longer just provincial, if indeed it ever was.  The Government of Canada has played an important role in the advancement of post-secondary education in Canada.   This support must continue.  In fact, it must grow.

Canadian post-secondary institutions have become globally competitive because of federal spending, and yet there is still a long way to go.  The world is in flux, and new paradigms are being created.  The race is on, and we do not have the luxury of letting levels of government sit one out.  

This leads me to ask one simple question:  Will Stephen Harper’s government, in this economic climate, have the foresight and vision to continue to invest in post-secondary education? 

Let us hope so.

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