YOUR EDUCATION

Education leads to good health through access to more

opportunities for secure employment and good income, better
living conditions, and better awareness of a healthy lifestyle and
available healthcare services.

This is why it’s important to ensure equal opportunities to learn for

all Torontonians from early childhood to adulthood.

SECURING A GOOD START IN LIFE ROADBLOCKS TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION The percentage of Canadians
with good health in relation to
their level of education:

Less Than Secondary

The first few years have a substantial influence on brain development, making access to early learning
30%
opportunities critical for every child.

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IS A SMART INVESTMENT Secondary

The earlier the investment, the greater the return Parents/Family Education Costs Living/Learning Environment

50%
Rate of Return to Investment in Human Capital

Children of parents without postsecondary
 Prenatal programs
education and youth from low-income families
are less likely to pursue a college or university
education.4
 Programs targeted toward the earliest years
 Preschool programs
With government funding declining over the
past few decades, universities and colleges
rely increasingly on tuition and fees. Ontario
has the highest post-secondary education
costs in the country.5
Children who are able to eat healthy food, live
in good housing conditions, play in safe
playgrounds, and study in supportive school
environments are more likely to perform better
in school and to pursue postsecondary
education.
Post-Secondary Graduate

 Schooling

HOW DOES EDUCATION AFFECT OUR HEALTH?

70%
 Job Training

Higher education is associated with better physical and mental health. Education provides more opportunities to secure a job, decent pay, good housing, and
0
active community engagement, each of which are important contributors to good health. It also helps promote awareness of a healthy lifestyle and available
Prenatal 0–3 4–5 School Post-school
Source: James Heckman healthcare services. Adapted from Senate Subcommittee on Population Health, 2009.

People who are better educated are more likely to have:

Every dollar spent in ensuring a healthy start in the early
years will reduce the long-term social costs associated with
health care, addictions, crime, unemployment and welfare.
As well, it will ensure Canadian children become better
MAKING THE CONNECTIONS
educated, well adjusted and more productive adults.
- Dr. David Butler Jones, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada
Lower risk of chronic More positive health
Longer life behaviors, including
ENSURING NO COMMUNITIES OF YOUTH expectancy
diseases such as heart
disease or diabetes being less likely to
ARE LEFT BEHIND smoke

WHAT CAN WE DO?

+ =
Tutoring
Not completing high school decreases young Canadians’ employment and earning potential, and puts
them at a higher risk of involvement in crime, drug-use, and poor health outcomes.
Where you live shouldn’t determine your success in school.1
High drop-out rates are a problem that many communities across Canada face, although some are
affected much more than others. For example, First Nations youth living off reserves are three times
more likely to drop out of high school than non-aboriginal youth.2 Drop-out rates in high-income
communities are as low as 6% while drop out rates in low-income communities can be higher than
70%.3
Pathways to Education is a community-based program that helps youth in low-income communities
graduate from high school by providing after-school tutoring, mentoring and financial assistance. Since
their beginning in Regent Park, the drop-out rate for youth in the area has declined by over 70%.
Financial Better education To meet the actual needs of all children and their families, governments
support outcomes must invest in childcare programs by offering more funding and childcare
subsidies and ensuring the quality of all childcare spaces.
We must identify and reduce the barriers to education. Tutoring, mentoring,
and financial support programs can decrease drop-out rates among
students in disadvantaged neighborhoods and can encourage them to
pursue postsecondary education.
College and university education should be accessible and affordable for
all. An enhanced support system should be developed through student
loans, bursaries and scholarship programs and educational support
programs.
Being educated improves your likelihood of being socially active and
positively engaged in your community.
People who have higher education have more opportunities for
better housing.
Educated people tend to live healthier lifestyles, reducing their
chance of getting sick and needing medical attention. It also means
they are informed about the types of services that are available,
which gives them better access to them when they need it.
Having higher education means people have the knowledge and
skills necessary to secure employment and make a good income.

© Wellesley Institute, 2015. www.wellesleyinstitute.com