When British Columbians are asked to rate our province鈥檚 education system, a significant gulf separates us from other Canadians. Basically, we aren鈥檛 at all satisfied with our schools; the rest of the country is.
In a March 2012 survey by the Angus Reid polling firm, only 47 per cent of us thought sa国际传媒鈥檚 primary schools were 鈥渄oing a good job.鈥�
The national average was 63 per cent.
Same story with high schools: just 47 per cent of British Columbians gave their approval. The Canadian average was 20 points higher.
But here鈥檚 the puzzle. There is precious little objective evidence to support such a negative view.
Two years ago, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released a study of high-school grades in three core subjects 鈥� math, science and reading. Students in the study all took the same test.
Among the Canadian provinces, sa国际传媒 scored first in reading, first in science and second in math. Moreover the OECD report merely confirmed what other comparisons have shown: sa国际传媒鈥檚 K-12 system is consistently among the best in the country.
True, there have been school closings in a number of communities, with central Vancouver Island hard hit. But that鈥檚 happening across sa国际传媒 as school enrolments fall.
It would be tempting to blame our negative mindset on endless warring between the government and the sa国际传媒 Teachers鈥� Federation. And that might indeed be a factor.
However, our low opinion extends to other areas of the public sector. The Angus Reid survey found that British Columbians had similar complaints about universities.
Just 45 per cent of us were satisfied with access to post-secondary institutions. The national average was 20 points higher.
And here, too, is a gap between perception and reality. Undergraduate tuition fees in sa国际传媒 are well below the national average ($5,029 versus $5,772).
Only three provinces offer more affordable rates. And since 2001, the provincial government has accredited seven new university campuses and doubled the number of trade apprentices.
Looking at a different field, we also don鈥檛 think much of our health system. A 2013 Ipsos poll found that British Columbians are dissatisfied with the medical care they receive.
Across a wide range of measures, such as ease of access, patient experience, quality of care and efficiency, our rankings were 46 per cent below the national average. That brought us in dead last.
Yet here, too, the objective facts do not support such a gloomy assessment. sa国际传媒鈥檚 hospitals are the most efficient in the country. Patient outcomes for serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease are among the best in North America. And we have the lowest drug costs in sa国际传媒.
There are indeed areas of weakness: Our mental-health services are inadequate, home care is poor and it can be hard to find a family physician in some parts of the province.
Where precisely this places our health system is debatable. But worst in the country? No.
One possible explanation is that sa国际传媒鈥檚 famously toxic political climate has led us to distrust anything to do with government. In effect 鈥� a pox on all of them.
Another theory might be that British Columbians expect more of the public sector than residents of other provinces. There鈥檚 actually some evidence to support this.
The Reid and Ipsos polls showed very high levels of satisfaction in Atlantic sa国际传媒.
Yet schools and hospitals in the Maritimes produce outcomes well short of the national average, and far below their counterparts in sa国际传媒
So which is it? Are we sick and tired of our politicians, or do we just demand more of them?
Either way, we might need to lighten up a little. Things are not as bad as they seem.
