New leglislation will enhance quality of adult learning

April 27, 2010
PROPOSED LEGISLATION WOULD FURTHER ENHANCE QUALITY OF ADULT LEARNING, POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION: MCGIFFORD
Minister Says Proposals Would Protect Students' Privacy
Legislative proposals would allow data collection to help guide further improvements to the adult learning and post‑secondary education system while protecting students’ privacy, Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Diane McGifford said today after introducing the legislation.

“This proposed legislation is a valuable tool to support system improvement through evidence-based decision-making,” the minister said. “We recognize the importance of students’ rights to privacy and our legislation will ensure information is collected and shared in a way that both respects and protects those rights.”

The proposed Advanced Education Administration Act and amendments to both the Council on Post‑Secondary Education Act and the Education Administration Act have been introduced to provide additional information to enhance post-secondary and adult learning sectors in the province, the minister said.
Over the long term, education officials would gather information to answer questions related to:

· tracking student pathways and mobility to increase understanding of student transitions from kindergarten to Grade 12 to post-secondary education, and movement of students among universities and colleges;

· monitoring student retention and completion of post-secondary education including rates of retention and graduation for under-represented groups; and

· better understanding the relationship between student financial assistance and the time required to complete college or university programs.

The new legislation would further enhance the minister’s mandate for adult learning and post‑secondary education, McGifford said. She added, amendments to the Council on Post‑Secondary Education Act would ensure the council has the information about students required to carry out its mandate and amendments to the Education Administration Act would formalize existing administrative processes. The amendments would also help prevent duplication of data collection.
In addition, the proposed legislation would enable Manitoba Advanced Education and Literacy to collect data already being collected in several other Canadian jurisdictions including Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta. The legislation incorporates provisions to ensure the privacy of students’ personal information is protected, consistent with existing information and privacy legislation, the minister said.