Similar to the question on skills, students were asked in question #14 to indicate their agreement or disagreement, using a 4-point scale, to six statements regarding their high school learning environment.
The majority of students agreed that their school provided each of the conditions listed in the question. Greatest agreement was expressed toward their
It is of particular
interest to note that over half of all students "strongly agreed" that
their school provided "access to a computer" and "a safe learning
environment".
Learning Environment by Full Time Intentions:
Although 89.0% of students agreed that their school provided a safe learning environment, students who planned to attend university full-time in the Fall were the most likely to "strongly agree" that this situation was true (56.6%). University-bound students were also more likely to "strongly agree" that they had knowledgeable teachers (45.7%) and received high quality personal counselling (31.9%).
Of the students who planned to attend a vocational college or apprenticeship program full-time, little variance from the overall proportions were noted with the exception of having access to computers. These students were the least likely to "strongly agree" that their school provided access (50.8%).
Students who planned to work full-time in September were the least likely to "strongly agree" that their school provided a safe learning environment (47.2%), had knowledgeable teachers (39.2%) and provided relevant text books (21.2%).
Findings of Interest:
- A higher proportion of students in independent schools stated that they "strongly agreed" their environment was safe, in comparison to band and public school students (72.3%, 60.3% and 48.6% respectively). A higher proportion of students in independent schools, compared with band and public schools, also stated that they had access to a computer (92.1%, 87.6% and 87.2% respectively).
- A greater proportion of students in South-Central Manitoba and Metro-Winnipeg students "strongly agreed" that their schools were safe (52.1% and 52.6%) compared to students in Northern-Remote areas (40.1%).
- Although the greatest majority of students reported that their school provided a safe learning environment, size of school was a factor for those who reported that they did not feel safe. It was found that the larger a school's enrolment, the higher the proportion of students who felt unsafe. The proportions went from 14.3% of students feeling unsafe in large schools, to 8.4% in medium-sized schools, 8.1% in medium-small schools, and 4.1% in small schools. [note: large had enrolments of over 600 students, medium 375-600 students, medium-small 151-374 students, and small 151 or less students]
- All band school students agreed (100%) that their school provided knowledgeable teachers, compared to independent school students (81.1%) and public school students (85.4%). Meanwhile, 33.2% of public school students disagreed that their school provided them with relevant textbooks. This compares to 14.9% of independent school students and 13.9% band school students. Most band school students agreed (71.2%) that their school provided guidance on how to use the World Wide Web / Internet, compared to 61.1% of public school students and 59.9% of independent students.
- A higher proportion of Français students disagreed that their teachers were knowledgeable (22.6%), compared to English language students (14.6%) and French Immersion students (11.6%). Additionally, a higher proportion of Français students disagreed that they had received quality personal counselling (33.4%, 32.2% and 19.4% respectively).