post secondary education police

Ontario scrapping post-secondary education requirement for police recruits

Province introducing several changes in bid to boost police recruitment numbers.

Social Sharing

The Ontario government said Tuesday it is introducing a number of new measures to boost lagging police recruitment numbers, including eliminating a post-secondary education requirement to be hired as an officer and covering the costs of mandatory training.

"We need more police officers on our streets, more boots on the ground," Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference at the Ontario Police College. He was joined by Solicitor General Michael Kerzner and Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw.

Ford said he has heard from the chiefs of various police services, who said they are seeing increases in major crimes like auto thefts, break and enters and random acts of violence, but are struggling to attract new recruits.

The premier also said that later today, his government will introduce legislation that would amend the Community Safety and Policing Act 2019 so a high school diploma or equivalent is "sufficient education" for the purposes of being hired as a police officer. Currently, applicants to many municipal police services need a post-secondary education credit to be considered for employment as an officer.

The province will also cover 100 per cent of the costs for Basic Constable Training at the Ontario Police College. The three-month program costs $15,450 and new police officers are required to complete it within six months of being hired.

Enrolment at the college is also being expanded. Starting in 2024, the college will be able to graduate up to four cohorts of 550 officers, up from the current three cohorts of 480 officers.

• Here's why police are struggling to recruit new officers — and why some still want to wear a badge

Demkiw welcomed the changes, saying that the Toronto Police Service is having difficulty "keeping up with the increasing demands" of a growing city.

"Like police services across Canada, we are working hard to recruit, select, hire and train new police constables. But this takes time and there are often barriers to getting new officers deployed and on the road," he told reporters.

"We need support in recruiting and training and welcome the news from the province."

NDP worried about 'watering down' requirements

Meanwhile, NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she was concerned about the "watering down of education requirements."

"What I hear from community and from front-line officers themselves is that they want more support and more training, that they have a very difficult job and they require a lot of skills, including critical thinking, to do their jobs properly," she said.

Municipal police forces are responsible for hiring police officers, but they are subject to budgets set out by local councils, which means there's no guarantee there will be a hiring blitz, Stiles said.

"I think a lot of municipalities will be asking whether or not they have the capacity to even take this on," Stiles said.

Kerzner defended the elimination of the post-secondary requirement to become an officer.

"I don't think bringing an arts degree is necessarily the criteria to go to Ontario Police College and to be a cadet," he said.

"I think it's our whole life experience that we bring to our new career, and I'm really excited that removing the barrier of a university of or college degree will encourage people who have these life experiences to come forward," Kerzner said.  

Related Stories

• Pennsylvania
• Los Angeles
• New York City

Police Officer Education

Police officer education requirements are set by state-level Peace Officer Standards and Training Councils (usually, though not always, abbreviated as POST) and by local police departments. Local police departments may set stricter standards than their overseeing POST agency, but may not set more lenient standards. In all 50 states, the minimum education required to become a police officer is a high school diploma or GED. However, a growing number of police departments require at least some college credit, and some even require a college degree.

Even if not required for entry-level police work, a college degree is either required or strongly recommended for advancement into the supervisory ranks by many police departments. In addition to many municipal law enforcement agencies requiring college credit, federal law enforcement positions , such as FBI detectives and investigators, generally require applicants to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, and some even require a graduate degree. 1 For these and other reasons discussed in more detail below, an increasing number of future police officers are including college in their career plans.

Table of Contents

Overview of Police Education Requirements

Police officer degree levels, police degree specialties, police academy and on-the-job training, police education requirements by city, police officer advancement with a degree, frequently asked questions.

The most recent data available indicates that over 80% of police departments in the US require at least a high school diploma or GED, while only 1% of police departments require a four-year degree. 1 The remaining 19% of departments require varying amounts of college credit, up to an associate’s degree (typically 60 credit hours). 1 About half of police agencies that require college credit will accept military experience in place of the usual college requirements. 1 In general, larger police departments (those serving one million residents or more) tend to require a degree more often than smaller departments. 1

At the same time, while it is not a strict entry-level requirement in all departments, the number of officers who have a college degree is rising; estimates suggest that 30% to 50% of US police have a four-year bachelor’s degree–compared to 33% of US adults overall. 1 This indicates that investing in four years of college to be a police officer is not uncommon. An estimated 66% of police chiefs and sheriffs have at least a bachelor’s degree, and 33% of these have a master’s or law degree. 1 Aside from agency hiring requirements, suggested reasons for these statistics include: 1

• Agency hiring preferences (78% of agency leaders reported they preferred candidates with a college degree in a 2014 survey)
• The common minimum police hiring age of 21 encourages high school graduates to attend college before applying for police work
• Competitive hiring processes that award extra points to college graduates
• Incentive pay for officers who achieve a college degree
• Advancement policies that are more favorable towards those who hold a college degree
• The growing complexity of criminal justice as an academic field, which has implications for police practice

Despite the relatively low number of PDs that require a degree, departments seem to be trending towards requiring at least some college credit. 2 Many experts believe police officers should be required to have a degree of some kind. This trend may be partially due to recent studies, such as one published in Police Quarterly , that suggest a correlation between higher education and police effectiveness. 2 Even before recent, widely-publicized incidents of police brutality that have contributed to growing tensions between officers and the people they serve, the occupation of policing has been moving towards a “community policing” approach, in which cops spend more time getting to know the people in the communities they serve and protect. As recent studies have found that more highly educated officers tend to be more effective and less likely to resort to the use of force in their duties, it makes more sense now than ever for prospective police officers to pursue a degree. 2,3

There are many degree options for prospective and current police who are interested in furthering their education. As previously mentioned, a successful policing career does not necessarily require a college degree, but pursuing a degree can benefit your career as a police officer not only by helping you get hired but also by putting you in a better position to be promoted and/or move into a supervisory position. Before we look at the degree majors (also known as specializations, concentrations, and emphases) available for those interested in police education, let’s look at the police officer education levels available.

Post-Secondary Technical Certificate

According to O*NET OnLine, 27% of police patrol officers suggest that the minimum education needed to be hired as a police officer is a postsecondary technical certificate. 4 Technical certificates usually require 15 to 30 credit hours and can be completed in as little as a few months to a year. If you choose to attend a certificate program in a subject such as law enforcement, law enforcement administration, or criminal justice, you can expect a broad overview of the field, with coursework covering topics such as an introduction to criminal justice, physical defense tactics, interview and interrogation techniques, and firearms. Many technical certificates in law enforcement fulfill some police academy requirements and may include a certain number of police training hours.

Associate of Science or Associate of Arts

Following close behind the postsecondary certificate, according to O*NET OnLine, the second-most common degree recommended for cops is an associate degree, with 24% of respondents recommending this degree. 4 An associate degree is a two-year degree (with full-time study) that can be found as an Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Applied Science (AAS), or an Associate of Arts (AA), comprising about 60 credit hours of coursework. Degrees focusing on law enforcement, police science, criminal justice, or related fields like homeland security or forensic science provide the most useful training for prospective or current police officers. An associate degree in law enforcement may include courses such as Community Relations, Firearms, Criminal Procedures, Loss Prevention, and Forensic Investigation.

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts

Another option for police officer education is the bachelor’s degree. Similar to an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree can be in the form of a Bachelor of Science (BS), a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS), or a Bachelor of Arts (BA). Bachelor’s degrees usually take four years of full-time study to complete, and prospective or current cops may choose to pursue a bachelor’s in any subject in order to fulfill most departments’ educational requirements . For students considering a career in federal law enforcement, jobs like CIA officer or US Marshal may require a bachelor’s degree in a criminal justice-related subject, such as homeland security, criminology, or law enforcement. To be the most competitive candidate for these federal positions, many students pursue graduate degrees after obtaining their bachelor’s. Most bachelor’s degrees require around 120 credit hours to graduate, including foundational and specialized coursework. Law enforcement bachelor’s degrees may include courses such as Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, Ethics in Criminal Justice, Community Policing, Crime Analysis and Investigation, and others.

While most police departments do not require a degree or college credits in a particular subject, it is still wise to consider pursuing a degree type that will help you in your law enforcement career. The most common majors for aspiring police are degrees in law enforcement, criminal justice, or related fields such as homeland security or forensics. Some police officer degrees can be pursued online or in a hybrid format. Check with your school(s) of choice to see if they offer any online components for police education.

Law Enforcement or Policing

One common degree specialty for those interested in a career in policing is law enforcement. Degrees in law enforcement are offered at the certificate, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s levels. Students in law enforcement and policing degree programs learn about the history of law enforcement, focusing on an ethical approach to policing, the application of law, due process, tactical strategies, law enforcement technology, and the proper use of force. Law enforcement and policing degrees may be pursued in a traditional format as well as in a hybrid or online format. Courses common to a degree in law enforcement include Physical Training/ Use of Force, Constitutional Law, Police Report Writing, Firearms, Law Enforcement Leadership, and Traffic Law. Courses taken at the police academy after being hired as an officer are typically similar to those found in law enforcement or policing degree programs.

Criminal Justice or Criminology

Another common degree specialty for cops is a degree in criminal justice or criminology. While the two fields are related, criminal justice is defined as the study of the system of US law enforcement, including courts and corrections, while criminology is the broader and more theoretical study of the social phenomenon of crime, including its causes and consequences. That said, an education in criminal justice may be best suited for prospective cops, but criminology can certainly be helpful too. Students in criminal justice and criminology programs will learn about the criminal justice system, criminology, courts, and the US correctional system, and coursework may cover research methods and statistics as well. Coursework may include courses such as Policing, Juvenile Justice, Corrections, Courts and Judicial Process, Research Methods in Criminal Justice, and Prisons: Punishment and Rehabilitation in America. Criminal justice and criminology degrees are available at all degree levels, from certificates to graduate degrees.

Another helpful police officer college degree option is sociology. Sociology degrees are offered as certificates, associate’s, bachelor’s, and graduate degrees, and they usually cover the examination of social issues, theory, statistics, and data analysis. Sociology degrees can be helpful for students interested in peace officer careers by giving them an understanding of how individuals function in societies. Sociology degrees are offered in on-campus, hybrid, and online formats. Courses in sociology programs may include Crime, Law & Deviance, Mass Culture & Collective Behavior, Sociology of Social Problems, Sociological Perspectives, and Global Political Economy.

Another important aspect of police officer education requirements is on-the-job training, which includes police academy training. When officers are hired onto a police force, they typically attend a Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST)-certified police academy for a certain number of hours. During POST training, officer candidates learn skills relevant to policing, such as firearms training, defense tactics, community policing, traffic enforcement, and report writing. POST-certified basic law enforcement academies typically include three to six months of full-time training, for which officers are paid.

Some cities allow these POST training hours to be applied to the number of credit hours required to be hired as a peace officer. For example, the Sacramento Police Department requires 60 semester credit hours of college to be hired, but 25 of those hours can be applied after the police academy training is completed, so technically only 35 hours of college credits are needed beyond the academy training that all officers receive. After attending a police academy that satisfies the POST requirements, most officers begin in the patrol division of the force, where they continue to learn on the job as a new patrol officer in field training , working under the supervision of a more experienced officer. After completing field training, officers are typically assigned to their first independent patrol.

Ongoing training requirements vary by department and by state. In Missouri, for example, all sworn peace officers must complete 24 hours of Continuing Law Enforcement Education (CLEE) per year, with specific guidelines on the subjects to be studied including legal studies and racial profiling. 6 Similarly, in Oklahoma, certified peace officers must complete 25 hours of continuing law enforcement training each year. 7 Note that individual agencies may require more continuing education than state guidelines. At a minimum, however, you should expect to be tested on physical fitness as well as firearm use and accuracy on an ongoing basis. Check with your local agencies for further guidelines on requirements.

The education required for prospective police officers can vary widely between major cities. For example, the New York City Police Department requires that candidates have earned at least 60 college credits with a minimum GPA of 2.0 if they have not previously served in the military, and the Houston Police Department requires 48 semester hours of college with a GPA greater than 2.0 for non-military applicants. Currently, Minnesota is the only state that requires a two-year degree to become a peace officer statewide, while most other states’ POST educational requirements are more lenient. The Arlington Police Department and the Tulsa Police Department have among the most stringent educational requirements for law enforcement recruits, as both require those without a military background to have a bachelor’s degree.

While only about 3% of local police departments serve populations of 100,000 or more, such police departments employ just over half (52%) of full-time sworn police officers in the US. 5 The table below displays the minimum police officer education requirements by the number of semester credit hours and the required degree for major city police departments in the United States. Any additional educational requirements, such as the area of study or minimum GPA, are reflected in the third column. Some city PDs allow officers to substitute relevant military experience in place of ordinary educational requirements, and that data is reflected in the fourth column of the table. Finally, the last two columns represent the percentage of the required education for a given city PD that would be satisfied with an associate and a bachelor’s degree, respectively.

Patrol officers who acquire experience and who have a degree are more likely to be promoted into managerial positions. 8 According to a study by the University of San Diego, there is a shortage of officers in law enforcement leadership positions, so pursuing a degree to become a police officer has never made more sense. 9 Even if they do not require a college degree to apply, many police departments offer higher pay rates to officers who have an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree as an educational incentive. 8 For example, the Austin Police Department pays police recruits with a high school diploma a starting salary of $60,453 after graduating the police academy, but officers with an associate’s degree receive an additional $100/month incentive; this rises to $220 per month for a bachelor’s degree and $300 per month for a master’s. 11 At the Dallas Police Department , the starting pay for police officers is $61,367 per year, but officers who have a four-year degree can expect $64,967 per year. 12 The Los Angeles Police Department pays full-time police officers without a degree or prior law enforcement or military experience $76,379 per year and those with an associate’s degree or above or prior law enforcement or military experience $79,344 per year. 13

Many officers pursue a degree after they have joined a department and study while serving on the force, which can command a higher rate of pay and increase their chances of getting promoted. Some police departments, including Colorado Springs , Louisville , and Phoenix , offer education benefits, tuition reimbursement, and/or scholarships as benefits for officers.

In 2014, President Obama created the Task Force on 21st Century Policing in order to “strengthen community policing and strengthen trust among law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.” 14 One of the task force’s six main pillars was Training & Education, which emphasized the importance of both training and education for all police officers, not only at the beginning of their careers in law enforcement , but throughout their careers, as a way to become better leaders. One of the recommendations that emerged from Pillar 5: Training & Education was that both the federal government and many state and local police agencies now incentivize higher education for officers in order to increase the number of educated cops across the country. 14

What education is needed to become a police officer?

Typically, a high school diploma is the minimum educational requirement needed to become a cop. However, some experts contend that this standard is changing. Research suggests that college-educated police officers are more effective at their jobs, so many police forces are incorporating higher education either in their requirements to become an officer or incentivizing it in their benefits programs. Some cities, such as Arlington , Minneapolis , and Tulsa , require an undergraduate degree to become a police officer and many others, like San Jose , Sacramento , Portland , Nashville , and Houston , require police applicants to have accumulated a certain number of college credits to apply. See the table above for an overview of educational requirements by city.

Do you need a college degree to be a cop?

Not necessarily. While a growing number of prospective law enforcement officers are seeking a college degree or college credits before becoming a cop, the majority of police departments still only require a high school diploma as a minimum educational requirement. Still, pursuing an education, especially one focused on an area such as law enforcement or criminal justice, can increase an officer’s chances of getting hired and certainly help them be promoted later in their career. For this reason, and also because of research suggesting that educated cops are more effective than their less-educated counterparts, many officer recruits are choosing to start their careers with a college education .

If I do go to college, what degree do I need to be a police officer?

There is no single “police officer college degree” option that will guarantee hire, and police departments generally do not look for a specific major, though they may require a certain number of credits or an associate’s degree (or even a bachelor’s degree). While the specific major that is right for you will depend on your desired career path, some of the best degrees for police include majors in law enforcement, policing, criminal justice, and social welfare. Consider arranging an informational interview or attending an open recruiting day at the police department(s) where you are considering applying to learn more about their education expectations.

Do I need a minimum GPA to become a police officer?

Of the major police departments we researched that require a degree or some college to apply, few specify a minimum GPA to join. Many departments simply require a certain number of college credits or a degree to become a cop, but there are some exceptions. Cities such as Dallas , Houston , Memphis , and New York City require a minimum GPA of 2.0 or a “C” average for their college credit requirement. Check with the departments to which you are interested in applying for more details.

What college subjects are needed to become a police officer?

Though the education needed for law enforcement varies by department, and although in many departments you can become a police officer without college, a college education may still be helpful to your career. University courses for prospective police officers typically include criminal justice, sociology, communication, and psychology. Some college programs offer specific law enforcement courses for future police officers, especially in formal law enforcement or policing majors. Check with the school(s) you are considering for detailed options.

What experience is needed to be a police officer?

In addition to police officer education level, some police departments also consider the experience level of prospective recruits. You might find that departments are looking for individuals who have at least one to two years of experience in a customer-facing role or in another role that requires good communication skills. As you plan your career, it’s a good idea to consider not only college courses to become a police officer but entry-level experience you can gain as well.

Can you become a police officer with a GED?

Yes. Most police departments accept applicants with a high school diploma or a GED. Departments that require college credit will generally not disqualify an applicant just because they earned a GED instead of a high school diploma. Some departments will also consider military experience or college credit instead of a GED, though a GED is itself typically a prerequisite to entering the military or college. Check with departments of interest for specific requirements and waivers that may be available.

What education is needed to become a police detective?

In contrast to entry-level police work, some formal education or experience (or, commonly, a combination thereof) is generally required in order to qualify for a detective position. Applicants who have a good track record of police experience and a college degree are generally better-positioned to apply for detective positions and other specialty ranks since these usually open via a competitive process.

What are the police departments that require a four-year degree?

Of the 56 largest cities in the US that How to Become a Police Officer tracks, only two police departments require a four-year degree: Arlington (Texas) and Tulsa (Oklahoma). That being said, there are smaller police departments nationwide that may look for college degrees; sheriff’s departments, state police agencies, and federal law enforcement agencies are all also more likely than average to require a four-year degree.

Resources: 1. Cordner, Gary. “Police Education in the USA.” Policing , 0, 0, 2018, 1-12. 2. Police Quarterly, The Effect of Higher Education on Police Behavior: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1098611109357325 3. Dr. Chuck Russo and Kevin Duffy, In Public Safety, “Do Cops Need a College Education?”: https://amuedge.com/do-cops-need-a-college-education/ 4. O*NET OnLine, Summary Report for Police Patrol Officers: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3051.00 5. Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Local Police Departments, 2013: Personnel, Policies, and Practices: https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/lpd13ppp.pdf 6. Missouri Department of Public Safety, Continuing Law Enforcement Education Requirements: https://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/post/edrequirements.php 7. Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training: https://www.ok.gov/cleet/CLEET_Training/ 8. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Local Police Departments, 2016–Personnel: https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/lpd16p.pdf 9. University of San Diego, Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership, “Moving From One Generation To the Next: The Shift in Law Enforcement Leadership”: https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/shift-in-law-enforcement-leadership/ 10. University of San Diego, Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership, “Going Beyond the Bachelor’s: Why Police Officer Education is So Important”: https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/why-police-officer-education-is-important/ 11. Austin Police Department: https://www.austintexas.gov/apdrecruiting/pay-benefits 12. Dallas Police Department: https://www.dallaspolice.net/joindpd/Pages/SalaryBenefits.aspx 13. Los Angeles Police Department: https://www.joinlapd.com/salary-and-benefits 14. Obama White House Archives, “President Obama Creates Task Force on 21st Century Policing”: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/12/18/president-obama-creates-task-force-21st-century-policing 15. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Higher Education and Local Law Enforcement: https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/higher-education-and-local-law-enforcement

The Importance of Post-Secondary Education in Policing

In the intricate mosaic of modern society, police officers stand as a cornerstone, serving as guardians of safety, order, and public trust. The transformation of a candidate into an adept law enforcement officer is a journey filled with rigorous training and steadfast commitment. Over the years, the role of police officers has evolved, requiring them to be not just law enforcers but also community partners, mediators, and counselors. Consequently, the demand for a higher educational background in policing has gained momentum. Let’s delve into why post-secondary education has become paramount in the realm of law enforcement.

1. Broadening Horizons:

Post-secondary education goes beyond the traditional teachings of criminal law and policing techniques. It offers officers a wider understanding of subjects like sociology, psychology, ethics, and public administration. This holistic education enables officers to approach situations with a multi-dimensional perspective, ensuring better decision-making.

2. Enhancing Communication Skills:

Courses in post-secondary institutions stress the importance of effective communication. Whether it’s writing a detailed report, testifying in court, or mediating between conflicting parties, clear communication is crucial. An officer with good communication skills can de-escalate volatile situations, gain community trust, and ensure that justice is served accurately.

3. Cultivating Cultural Competency:

Modern societies are a tapestry of diverse cultures, languages, and beliefs. Post-secondary education often exposes students to this diversity, fostering an environment of acceptance and understanding. Officers with a deeper awareness of cultural nuances are better equipped to serve all community members with respect and sensitivity.

4. Promoting Ethical Policing:

Courses in ethics and philosophy challenge students to contemplate moral dilemmas and the broader implications of their actions. For police officers, such insights can be invaluable, ensuring that their actions align with the principles of justice, fairness, and community trust.

5. Empowering Advancement:

For those looking to rise through the ranks, a post-secondary education can be the key. Many senior positions within police departments now require a bachelor’s or even a master’s degree. Such education equips officers with the leadership, administrative, and strategic skills necessary for higher roles.

6. Adapting to Technological Advancements:

The digital age has revolutionized policing. From cybercrimes to the use of advanced forensic tools, officers today need to be tech-savvy. Post-secondary courses in IT, digital forensics, and related fields can prepare officers for these challenges, ensuring they stay ahead of the curve.

In Conclusion:

The role of a police officer in the 21st century extends beyond patrolling streets and apprehending lawbreakers. Officers are now community builders, peacekeepers, and guardians of public trust. To effectively undertake these roles, the foundational importance of post-secondary education cannot be overemphasized. It molds officers who are not just proficient in the letter of the law but also understand its spirit, ensuring communities are served with the highest standard of dedication, understanding, and respect.

Share This Post.

Related posts.

Preparing for the Unexpected: The Importance of Self-defense and Awareness

Boxing and Security Training: Unlikely Bedfellows With Striking Similarities

Strategies for Continuous Growth and Advancement

Ontario to drop post-secondary education requirement for police officers

'We need reinforcements, we need more police officers on our streets,' said Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Author of the article:

You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account.

Article content

TORONTO – Ontario will eliminate the post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer, expand enrolment for its basic training program and axe tuition fees at the Ontario Police College, the premier said Tuesday.

The moves are designed to get more police officers into communities, Doug Ford said.

“We need reinforcements, we need more police officers on our streets,” Ford said at the Toronto Police College.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

• Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
• Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
• National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
• Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
• Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

• Access articles from across Canada with one account.
• Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
• Enjoy additional articles per month.
• Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Don't have an account? Create Account

There’s been a rise in auto thefts, assaults, break-and-enters and random acts of violence in Ontario over the past year, Ford said.

The province will add 140 new recruits at the Ontario Police College in 2023 and another 420 by the end of next year, he said.

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner defended the elimination of the post-secondary requirement to become an officer.

“I don’t think bringing an arts degree is necessarily the criteria to go to Ontario Police College and to be a cadet,” he said.

“I think it’s our whole life experience that we bring to our new career, and I’m really excited that removing the barrier of a university of or college degree will encourage people who have these life experiences to come forward.”

The average age of a cadet is in their late twenties, Kerzner said.

Tuition at the police college costs about $15,000 a year, he said.

The province will provide about $20 million to cover tuition over the next three years, which is when the program will be reassessed, Kerzner said. The 470 cadets who just graduated will also have their tuition covered.

Every officer in the province must attend the Ontario Police College to undergo 66 days of basic constable training.

Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said the changes will help recruitment efforts.

“We are working hard to recruit, select, hire, and train new police constables, but this takes time and there are often barriers to getting new officers deployed and on the road,” Demkiw said.

“We need support in recruiting and training and will welcome the news from the province.”

Whether it's the years of anti-police rhetoric, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or the recent increase in violence against police officers, we are not getting the numbers we need. Jon Reid, president of the Toronto Police Association

Toronto’s police union said it was another “positive show of support” for police officers by the Ford government.

“Everywhere, services are struggling to hire police officers,” said Jon Reid, president of the Toronto Police Association.

“Whether it’s the years of anti-police rhetoric, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or the recent increase in violence against police officers, we are not getting the numbers we need.”

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she was concerned about the “watering down of education requirements.”

“What I hear from community and from front-line officers themselves is that they want more support and more training, that they have a very difficult job and they require a lot of skills, including critical thinking, to do their jobs properly,” she said.

Municipal police forces are responsible for hiring police officers, but they are subject to budgets set out by local councils, which means there’s no guarantee there will be a hiring blitz, Stiles said.

“I think a lot of municipalities will be asking whether or not they have the capacity to even take this on,” Stiles said.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Subscriber only. John Ivison: Jagmeet Singh pivots from losing to Liberals to losing to Conservatives

Michael taube: the votes are in — trudeau is canada’s worst prime minister, how and why the ndp decided to break up with the trudeau liberals, these grocery items are expected to be cheaper this fall in canada, national campaign director for federal liberals resigns, citing toll on his personal life, does red light therapy work putting currentbody led face mask to the test.

I tested one of the leading red light therapy masks and was surprised by the results

The best online deals in the Canadian retail space right now

Alo Yoga, Carrhart, Cozy Earth and Paula's Choice, to name a few

Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Top linen sheets perfect for all Canadian seasons

We tried the best linen sheets – here are our top picks for every preference

The fall fashion collection from designer Clare Waight Keller for UNIQLO drops today

Celebrated British designer's UNIQLO :C collection launches Sept. 5, hot on the heels of the announcement that she's the new creative director for the global brand.

Our gotta-have-it guide to the best mascaras 

From waterproof to vegan, plus a gem under $20

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here . By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy .

You've reached the 20 article limit.

You can manage saved articles in your account.

and save up to 100 articles!

Looks like you've reached your saved article limit!

You can manage your saved articles in your account and clicking the X located at the bottom right of the article.

Ontario eliminating tuition fees and post-secondary education requirements for new police officers

Ontario is making some major changes in an effort to boost police recruitment, including eliminating tuition fees and post-secondary education requirements.

Speaking in Etobicoke, Ont., Premier Doug Ford said there was a “growing wave of crime” in the province and, as a result, there is an immediate need to bring in reinforcements.

“People don't feel safe. Some are scared to take the subway or to go for a walk once it gets dark and that’s wrong,” he told reporters.

“We need more police officers on our street.”

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

In order to encourage recruitment, the province will be removing tuition fees for the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College. This change will be retroactive to recruits who began their training in January 2023.

The cost of this program is $15,450, the solicitor general's office confirmed.

The province will also open an additional 70 spaces per cohort in the program, and add an additional cohort so there are four groups of 550 officers graduating each year.

With 2,200 students, the cost of covering tuition is close to $34 million annually.

New recruits will also no longer need to graduate from a post-secondary education institution in order to become a police officer. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act , as it stands now, a police officer needs to also have a university or college degree.

If new legislation is passed, this requirement will be eliminated.

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said he hopes the changes will encourage more people “from all walks of life and backgrounds” to join the force.

“We want more people to have the opportunity to be police officers,” he said. “That's what today's announcement is all about.”

Toronto Top Stories

Toronto couple pushes for change after dog attacked by pack of coyotes

Toronto Island ferry suffers mechanical issue, prompting crews to perform emergency stop

Man, 21, charged in connection with fatal shooting at North York housing complex

Crews battle container fire at commercial business in Mississauga

Tragically Hip fans belt out band's classics en masse as TIFF gets underway

These are the corner stores that are now licensed to sell alcohol in the GTA

A Canadian airline is changing its check-in deadline for all flights. Here's why

Video released of armed home invasion north of Toronto

Ctvnews.ca top stories.

Girl, 15, set on fire in assault at Saskatoon high school: police

A 15-year-old girl was set on fire in an assault at Saskatoon's Evan Hardy Collegiate Thursday afternoon, police say.

Liberal national campaign director says he will step down

Embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his governing Liberals have taken another hit with Jeremy Broadhurst quitting his job as national campaign director for the party.

Father of Georgia school shooting suspect arrested on charges including second-degree murder

The father of the teenager accused of opening fire at a Georgia high school, killing four people and wounding nine, was arrested on various charges including second-degree murder, authorities said Thursday.

It started like any other night for Mary and Doug Youngson: a walk at their neighbourhood park with their rescue dogs, Mai Tai and Kahlua. But when the couple looked around, they say a pack of eight coyotes surrounded them, picked Kahlua up and ran off with him.

Travellers will have to check in 15 minutes earlier than usual according to Air Canada's new cutoff time for all flights.

Man dies after surgeon removed wrong organ at Florida hospital, lawyer says

The lawyer of a woman whose husband died at a Florida hospital says the surgeon removed the wrong organ.

Conservative cuts? Party to share platform 'closer to the next election,' Scheer says

Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer says Canadians will have to wait until 'closer' to the next federal election to learn about the party's platform.

Student convicted of killing classmate in Leduc gets life in prison without parole for 12 years

The man who fatally stabbed a classmate at his Leduc high school in 2021 was sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 12 years on Thursday.

Murder, aggravated assault charges laid in Vancouver stranger attacks

Charges of murder and aggravated assault in a pair of brutal stranger attacks in downtown Vancouver were approved Thursday, one day after the rush-hour rampage left one man dead and another with a severed hand.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.  Read about us.

Editor's Picks

22 amazon canada products that are just plain helpful, i'm fairly certain you’ll never leave home without this portable charger (and it's on sale right now), if you pack your lunches (or your kids' lunches), you probably need at least a few of these products, 18 products for anyone who loves their plants and indoor gardening, the 5 best pressure cookers in canada in 2024, 15 of the best gifts to give a one-year-old for their first birthday, 20 of the best gifts for people who travel a lot, 21 brilliant gifts for those impossible-to-shop-for people on your list, if you're looking for the best clarifying shampoo, here are a few that reviewers swear by, thousands of reviewers swear by this product for fresh, stink-free breath, 10 of the best teeth-whitening products you can find online right now, beauty week has officially begun on amazon canada — here are the best deals you can find, here are all the best labour day weekend sales to shop in canada, 22 amazon canada deals and discounts on back-to-school supplies.

Class-action wants Apple to uphold iPhone water resistance promise to Quebec customers

A Quebec law firm is seeking authorization for a class-action lawsuit against Apple for anyone in the province who has had their iPhone damaged by water.

Two Montreal children struck in separate accidents, prompting calls for greater vigilance

Two close calls have left communities shaken on opposite sides of the city of Montreal. In Ahuntsic, a six-year-old was struck by a school bus driver this morning. In Ville Marie, a three-year-old was hit by an SUV under similar circumstances.

Golden again, Canadian wheelchair racer Brent Lakatos back atop the Paralympic podium

Brent Lakatos got the gold. The veteran wheelchair racer from Dorval, Que., owns fistfuls of Paralympic medals, but not quite enough gold for his liking kept the 44-year-old racing to Paris.

Buying booze more 'convenient' across Ontario, but that convenience comes with a price

The change to how and where alcohol is sold gives Ontarians more options on when and where they can buy beer and wine, but it could come at a steeper price.

Trees in eastern Ontario are changing colour already: Here's why and what it means for fall

It has been sunshine and warm temperatures to start the month of September, but some trees in eastern Ontario appear to be getting a jump start on fall.

Snowbirds, Red Arrows bring smiles to CHEO students

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds and the Royal Air Force Red Arrows visited kindergarten students at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) on Thursday.

Northern Ontario

Nipissing University centre closes following investigation into social media post

Nipissing University says it’s saddened by the decision to permanently close the student-led The Equity Centre following the completion of a third-party, independent investigation.

International students in Kitchener, Ont. lose thousands of dollars to alleged rental scam

More than a dozen international students fell for a scam involving a fake apartment rental. Here's what experts say renters should do when hunting for a new home.

Senior seriously injured in Guelph crash, driver flees the scene

Police are looking for a driver who fled the scene of a crash that left a senior seriously hurt.

Crash reported on Highway 24 in Cambridge

Emergency responders were called to a two-vehicle collision in Cambridge on Thursday evening.

'A tonne of sleepless nights': LHSC interim CEO announces dozens of cuts to executive ranks

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) announced Thursday it has cut dozens of top administration positions, reducing the payroll by millions of dollars.

Reported high-rise crane stunt dubbed 'risky' and 'dangerous'

What appears to be a stunt on a crane high above London, Ont. is gaining traction online and disdain from some viewers and emergency officials.

$132 million in funding announced for 370 units on old Victoria Hospital site

More than $132 million in funding for affordable housing in London was announced at city hall today – just blocks away from where that money will be put to good use.

Second person dead in Highway 401 collision

A second person has died following Aug. 23’s collision on Highway 401.

Canada’s first No Name grocery store opens in LaSalle, Ont.

The sound of product scanning was prominent on the first day of the new No Name grocery store at the Windsor Crossing Premium Outlet Mall.

Green Day’s Detroit concert takes a 'Holiday' after drone disruption

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched an investigation after a drone interrupted Green Day's concert in Detroit on Wednesday night, briefly halting the show.

Suspended G1 driver faces criminal charges after traffic stop turns into drug bust: OPP

Provincial police say an officer pulled over a vehicle for speeding on Yonge Street in Midland, which led to the seizure of a large amount of street drugs, cash, and weapons and resulted in criminal charges.

Attempted theft of groceries thwarted by staff and police

Grocery store staff helped police in Gravenhurst stop a theft in progress.

Bradford's photo radar program generates $1.88M in fines in 4 months

Bradford West Gwillimbury's mayor says he's "very enthusiastic" about the impacts of the town's new Automated Speed Enforcement program, which has generated $1.88 million in fines since its launch in May.

Bus drops off Winnipeg school-aged kids at wrong locations after glitch with school division’s new app

A Winnipeg mother said glitches with a new app rolled out by Pembina Trails School Division to assist with scheduling bussing for students lead to her five and seven-year-old sons being left stranded on their street alone.

'Principal architect' of Morrisseau mass forgeries sentenced to five years in prison

Mass forgeries of Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau's paintings have caused irreparable harm to the trailblazer's legacy -- and to First Nations art writ large, an Ontario judge acknowledged Thursday in sentencing one of the ringleaders of a sprawling fraud scheme.

IIU investigating after man shot by RCMP in rural Manitoba

Manitoba's police watchdog is now investigating after an RCMP officer shot a man outside a home in the RM of Macdonald.

One dead, one injured, suspect still at large in N.B.

The New Brunswick RCMP confirmed one person is dead and another is injured after an emergency alert was issued for the Esgenoopetitj (Burnt Church) First Nation area, near Neguac, N.B. on Thursday.

N.B. RCMP release photo of man who sparked alert for 'carrying weapons'

The New Brunswick RCMP has issued an emergency alert about a man reportedly “carrying weapons with intent to use them” in the Burnt Church area Thursday afternoon.

Rainfall warnings, special weather statements issued for parts of Maritimes

A low-pressure system currently sitting to the west of Bermuda is being given a 20 per cent chance of tropical development by the National Hurricane Center in the United States.

Dispute over unrecognized Inuit group halts major conference for Canadian North

A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.

Cow cuddling: Why a Newfoundland farm is offering quality time with these 'gentle creatures'

Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.

Newly reinstated Newfoundland cod fishery temporarily paused as landings hit limit

The federal government has temporarily paused parts of the newly reinstated commercial northern cod fishery off the east coast of Newfoundland as landings approach the seasonal limit.

$250M price of Edmonton's renovation wish list for Commonwealth Stadium

Nearly 50 years after it was built, the City of Edmonton says Commonwealth Stadium could use some major renovations.

'Don't do it': New study shows harms should Alberta expand online gambling options

The author of a new report is warning the Government of Alberta against expanding online gambling in the province.

You can catch CTV Calgary's newscast for Sept. 5, 2024, right here

With Thursday's CTV News Calgary @ 5 and CTV News Calgary @ 6 pre-empted, we've put together a special online edition for you.

Calgary city councillor pushes back against province's Green Line letter

The fallout from the province's decision to stop funding Calgary's Green Line construction has turned into a personal and political battle between some city councillors and Alberta's transportation minister.

'It's remarkable!': Meteorite captured on Calgary doorbell camera

You never know what you might find in your doorbell camera footage...

'Pure annoyance': Cricket infestation taking over south Sask. farm

James Schiller says crickets are taking over his farm southwest of Regina.

Alzheimer's Society of Saskatchewan opens up major fundraising campaign to general public

The Alzheimer's Society of Saskatchewan has opened up a major fundraising campaign to the general public in hopes of finding the cure for dementia.

Sask. spending $17M to shore up local police in bid to fight 'social disorder'

The Saskatchewan government announced a series of policing and court initiatives Thursday that it hopes will make people feel safer in their communities.

Dutch elm disease cases grow in Saskatoon

The City of Saskatoon wants help from the public in stopping the spread of Dutch elm Disease.

Ambulance diversions underway as Royal Columbian Hospital attempts smoother tech transition

British Columbia has spent years planning and implementing a purely digital medical record system for the province's hospitals – and one of the largest is now sending away some patients as it attempts a smoother transition than its peers.

B.C. reverses course on changes to school tube-feeding program after backlash from family

Jaxton Tory did not get to start Grade 6 with his peers in Ladner, B.C., this week, due to his diet.

Vancouver Island

Driver ticketed after striking mother, baby in b.c. crosswalk.

A 24-year-old driver has been ticketed for driving without due care and attention after striking a mother and her baby in a pedestrian crosswalk near Victoria.

Police investigating body found after fire in Comox, B.C.

Major crime detectives are investigating after firefighters discovered human remains at the scene of a house fire in Comox, B.C.

Stay Connected

• Magazine + Enews
• Photo Gallery
• 2024 Blue Line Virtual Symposium & Product Showcase
• InterOp Canada 2023
• Blue Line Virtual Expo 2022
• Blue Line Virtual Expo 2021
• Back of the Book
• Behavioural Sciences
• Health & Wellness
• Holding the Line
• Off the Shelf
• Out of the Cold
• Editor’s Commentary

Information

• Canada’s Best Dressed Police Vehicle
• Lifetime in Law Enforcement Achievement
• Rookie of the Year
• Buyers Guide
• Digital Edition
• Digital Edition Archives

News Ontario eliminating post secondary education requirement to become police officers

April 25, 2023  By The Canadian Press

Apr. 25, 2023, Toronto, Ont. – Ontario will eliminate the post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer, expand enrolment for its basic training program and axe tuition fees at the Ontario Police College, the premier said Tuesday.

The moves are designed to get more police officers into communities, Doug Ford said.

“We need reinforcements, we need more police officers on our streets,” Ford said at the Toronto Police College.

There’s been a rise in auto thefts, assaults, break-and-enters and random acts of violence in Ontario over the past year, Ford said.

The province will add 140 new recruits at the Ontario Police College in 2023 and another 420 by the end of next year, he said.

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner defended the elimination of the post-secondary requirement to become an officer.

“I don’t think bringing an arts degree is necessarily the criteria to go to Ontario Police College and to be a cadet,” he said.

“I think it’s our whole life experience that we bring to our new career, and I’m really excited that removing the barrier of a university of or college degree will encourage people who have these life experiences to come forward.”

The average age of a cadet is in their late twenties, Kerzner said.

Tuition at the police college costs about $15,000 a year, he said.

The province will provide about $20 million to cover tuition over the next three years, which is when the program will be reassessed, Kerzner said. The 470 cadets who just graduated will also have their tuition covered.

Every officer in the province must attend the Ontario Police College to undergo 66 days of basic constable training.

Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said the changes will help recruitment efforts.

“We are working hard to recruit, select, hire, and train new police constables, but this takes time and there are often barriers to getting new officers deployed and on the road,” Demkiw said. “We need support in recruiting and training and will welcome the news from the province.”

Toronto’s police union said it was another “positive show of support” for police officers by the Ford government.

“Everywhere, services are struggling to hire police officers,” said Jon Reid, president of the Toronto Police Association.

“Whether it’s the years of anti-police rhetoric, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or the recent increase in violence against police officers, we are not getting the numbers we need.”

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she was concerned about the “watering down of education requirements.”

“What I hear from community and from front-line officers themselves is that they want more support and more training, that they have a very difficult job and they require a lot of skills, including critical thinking, to do their jobs properly,” she said.

Municipal police forces are responsible for hiring police officers, but they are subject to budgets set out by local councils, which means there’s no guarantee there will be a hiring blitz, Stiles said.

“I think a lot of municipalities will be asking whether or not they have the capacity to even take this on,” Stiles said.

• Myles Gray had swollen airway, blood in his throat after police beating: paramedic
• Transforming Community Policing: Mobilization, Engagement, and Collaboration, Second Edition

Advertisement

• law enforcement
• News & Stories
• police training

• Entertainment
• Photo Galleries
• Commuter Centre
• Border Crossings
• Ask A Lawyer
• Hot Property
• Wellness Wednesdays
• Human Interest
• Real Estate
• Top Social Stories
• CP24 Supports
• Newsletters
• Skip to Main Content

CP24 BREAKING NEWS IN TORONTO AND BEYOND

Advertisement

Ontario eliminating tuition fees and post-secondary education requirements for new police officers

Katherine DeClerq , CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist

@KateDeClerq

Ontario is making some major changes in an effort to boost police recruitment, including eliminating tuition fees and post-secondary education requirements.

Speaking in Etobicoke, Ont., Premier Doug Ford said there was a “growing wave of crime” in the province and, as a result, there is an immediate need to bring in reinforcements.

“People don't feel safe. Some are scared to take the subway or to go for a walk once it gets dark and that’s wrong,” he told reporters.

“We need more police officers on our street.”

In order to encourage recruitment, the province will be removing tuition fees for the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College. This change will be retroactive to recruits who began their training in January 2023.

The cost of this program is $15,450, the solicitor general's office confirmed.

The province will also open an additional 70 spaces per cohort in the program, and add an additional cohort so there are four groups of 550 officers graduating each year.

With 2,200 students, the cost of covering tuition is close to $34 million annually.

New recruits will also no longer need to graduate from a post-secondary education institution in order to become a police officer. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act, as it stands now, a police officer needs to also have a university or college degree.

If new legislation is passed, this requirement will be eliminated.

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said he hopes the changes will encourage more people “from all walks of life and backgrounds” to join the force.

“We want more people to have the opportunity to be police officers,” he said. “That's what today's announcement is all about.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford holds a news conference at Ontario Place, in Toronto, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Shipping containers in Mississauga catch fire

Tragically Hip sing-along at TIFF

Poilievre says Singh has sold out Canadians

Toronto Island ferry suffers mechanical issue, prompting crews to perform emergency stop

• Crews battle container fire at commercial business in Mississauga

Toronto couple pushes for change after dog attacked by pack of coyotes

Mexico elects Claudia Sheinbaum as its first female president

• Flash floods due to unusually heavy seasonal rains kill at least 68 people in Afghanistan
• Suspect in attempted assassination of Slovakia's prime minister makes first court appearance

Real Estate News

Toronto-area home sales decline in August, but rate cut could spur activity: board

• Some Canadian banks rethinking strategy on home mortgage competition
• Housing market fairly stable in July, conditions growing for more active market: CREA

Sports News

Canadian Paralympians strike gold twice, with one bronze on Day 8

• Leafs sign defenceman Marshall Rifai to two-year contract extension
• Ugandan Olympic athlete dies after being severely burned by her partner

Entertainment News

Tragically Hip fans belt out band's classics en masse as TIFF gets underway

• Taylor Swift shows up at Arrowhead Stadium to watch Travis Kelce, Chiefs face Ravens
• Ticketmaster's pricing for Oasis tickets is under investigation in the UK

Lifestyle News

Feeling the heat as Earth breaks yet another record for hottest summer

• 'Mismatched guidance' on pulling COVID vaccines ahead of updated shots raises concern
• Scientific discovery that turns mouse skin transparent echoes plot of H.G. Wells’ ‘The Invisible Man’

These are the corner stores that are now licensed to sell alcohol in the GTA

Armed suspects seen kicking in door in shocking home invasion video

'Extensive:' Police arrest auto dealership sales rep in $1.5M fraud

Man, 21, charged in connection with fatal shooting at North York housing complex

Most watched.

Dramatic police interaction in Mississauga

GRAPHIC: Home invasion in Markham

Canada's first No Name store opens

• Liberty University
• Jerry Falwell Library
• Special Collections
• < Previous

Home > ETD > Doctoral > 5219

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Educated cops: a qualitative analysis of police chiefs' and police officers' perceptions of the effects of post-secondary education on job performance.

James Wesley Blair , Liberty University Follow

Helms School of Government

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Evaristus Obinyan

policing, post-secondary education, use of force, critical decision-making, police turnover rates, communication skills

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Recommended Citation

Blair, James Wesley, "Educated Cops: A Qualitative Analysis of Police Chiefs' and Police Officers' Perceptions of the Effects of Post-Secondary Education on Job Performance" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects . 5219. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5219

Municipal policing in the United requires a complex array of skills for police officers to perform the duties of their jobs effectively. At any given time, a police officer may act in the role of a warrior in confronting an armed assailant in a school or deliver a death notification to a family whose life has just been shattered by a tragic car crash. That same officer will be asked to perform CPR on a heart attack victim, counsel a suicidal individual on the edge of a bridge, and deliver a presentation to a group of business owners. Each of these tasks requires a specific and individualized set of skills generally associated with a particular occupation. On any given day across our nation, we expect a police officer to perform a variety of tasks at the same level as an educated soldier, paramedic, counselor, statistician, social worker, urban planner, lawyer, minister, or MBA graduate. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perceptions of police chiefs and police officers relative to the effects of post-secondary education on the job performance of municipal police officers. Through interviews with police chiefs and anonymous online surveys with police officers, this study qualitatively assessed the perceptions of the two groups on the benefits of post-secondary education as it relates to development of interpersonal skills, use of force decision-making, critical thinking skills, job satisfaction, and intent to leave a police department.

Since February 29, 2024

Included in

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

• Collections
• Faculty Expert Gallery
• Theses and Dissertations
• Conferences and Events
• Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Explore Disciplines

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS .

Faculty Authors

• Submit Research
• Expert Gallery Login

Student Authors

• Undergraduate Submissions
• Graduate Submissions
• Honors Submissions

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Get the Reddit app

News, People, Places, Events, Pictures, and Discussions on Toronto; Canada's Business and Financial capital, and the Provincial capital of Ontario.

Ontario scrapping post-secondary education requirement for police recruits

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

• Community and Engagement
• Honors and Awards
• Give Now 

Elevate, NC State’s Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Program, Now Accepting Applications

Elevate, NC State’s new Inclusive Postsecondary Education Program, has begun accepting applications for its first class or students, who will enroll in spring 2025.

Administratively housed in the College of Education, Elevate is a university-wide initiative designed for North Carolina residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and will offer educational credentials, such as certificates. The program focuses on five pillars of success: academics, employment, personal development, independent living and social engagement. 

“ Elevate is a new opportunity for young adults with IDD to come to college, continue to grow intellectually, and explore and find careers that align with their passions,” said Elevate Program Director Tamira White . ”They will have access to the rich resources at NC State and in the surrounding communities. We will use cutting-edge technology to provide each Elevate student an opportunity to grow academically and socially, and prepare them to launch their successful careers.”

To be eligible for enrollment in Elevate, students must be legal residents of North Carolina who are at least 18 years of age, identified with an intellectual disability and are currently or have previously been eligible for special education services through an individualized education program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. 

“A great candidate for Elevate is a young person who is motivated to come to college to learn and grow and who is highly motivated to work,” White said. “Elevate is going to be a transformational experience related to academics, employment and connections to the community.”

Students who join the spring 2025 Elevate cohort must be commuter students, while residential options will open for the fall 2025 semester.

• Academics and Programs
• Special Education

More From College of Education News

Transformational Scholarships Program Announces Third Cohort of Scholars 

Beth Feuer Joining College of Education as Assistant Teaching Professor in Special Education 

Lacey Seaton ’17MSA, ’21EDD Joining College of Education as Associate Teaching Professor of Educational Leadership  

• Arts & Culture

• Public Affairs

September 5, 2024

U.s. education secretary highlights ivy tech as national model for post-secondary education, kirsten adair.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona spoke to Ivy Tech students about their experiences Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Ivy Tech Valparaiso Wednesday as part of a back-to-school bus tour. Cardona toured the campus and spoke to manufacturing and nursing students to learn more about the programs.

Ivy Tech student Ryan Raleigh demonstrated how he operates robots in the college’s manufacturing training lab. He told Cardona he wants to own his own robotics business after finishing school.

In the nursing simulation lab, Cardona donned a virtual reality headset and watched as students delivered a virtual baby from a realistic, breathing mannequin.

He said Ivy Tech is an example for the rest of the country.

“We need schools like this,” he said. “This has to be the norm, not the exception. Yet, the reality is, not only are you the exception; in many cases you’re the exemplar.”

Cardona emphasized the need for low-cost options that prepare students for in-demand careers. He said Ivy Tech’s dual-credit programs, community partnerships and job placements are all geared to help students reach their goals.

After touring the campus, Cardona participated in a roundtable discussion with students, Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann and U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Highland). Cardona asked the students how Ivy Tech is preparing them for their careers.

Dexter Kehle, a junior at Chesterton High School, is interested in renewable energy and industrial electricity. He takes dual credit courses at Ivy Tech and plans to apply to Northern Indiana Public Service Company after he graduates. Ivy Tech partners with NIPSCO, so Kehle is guaranteed an interview.  

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way . Text "Indiana" to 765-275-1120. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on statewide issues.  

Nursing student Madeleine DeVries said she can pursue her career goals without going into more student loan debt. She has a nurse fellowship with St. Catherine Hospital and plans to finish her bachelor’s degree at Valparaiso University, another Ivy Tech partner.

DeVries said every professor and staff member knows how to guide students toward their goals.

Aaron O’Reilly, another nursing student, agreed. He went to a traditional four-year college initially but enrolled in Ivy Tech after he decided to make a career change.

“They’re here for your success always,” he said. “You never feel left behind in a course or program because they’re your champions.”

Cardona said community colleges are crucial to helping students of all ages and backgrounds find success in the current job market. He said two-year colleges will play an important role in filling gaps within the labor market.

“When we talk about supporting two-year colleges and we lift up two-year colleges, it’s because we believe this country’s growth is dependent on you,” he said.

Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at  [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair .

Related News

Education / August 29, 2024

Democratic governor candidate jennifer mccormick unveils five-pillar education plan.

Education / August 15, 2024

In early feedback, educators offer support to second draft of new high school diploma.

Judge throws out ACLU lawsuit against Indiana tenure law

WFYI 90.1 FM

World briefing, 12:30 am - 1:00 am, hd2 the point, xponential radio, 12:00 am - 11:00 am.

Indiana Week in Review

Hoosier Democrats, Republicans and insiders talk candidly about issues, the Indiana Statehouse and everything in between on Indiana Week In Review from WFYI Public Media. Join host Brandon Smith and political experts as they dive into the debates shaping Indiana....

• Educational Resources
• WFYI Mobile App
• Follow @WFYI
• WFYI Passport
• Corporate Sponsorship
• Arts & Culture
• Follow @WFYINEWS
• Donate / Become a Member
• Update Payment Method
• Wills and Estate Planning
• Donate Your Car
• Gifts Of Securities
• Matching Gifts
• Help Center
• Contact WFYI
• Newsroom Staff
• WFYI Press Releases
• Donor Privacy Policy
• FCC Public Inspection Files
• Public Reporting

• Your Profile
• Your Subscriptions
• Support Local News
• Payment History
• Sign up for Daily Headlines
• Human Resources & Education

B.C. post-secondary institutions navigate student caps as school starts

• Share by Email
• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share via Text Message

Some post-secondary institutions that rely in part on international student revenue to support their educational offering have been hit hard by B.C.’s implementation of Ottawa’s cap on international student study permits.

While the impact has varied institution to institution, some universities are offering fewer courses as they manage lower revenue.

In July, the provincial government limited the population share of international students in public post-secondary institutions to 30 per cent of the total student body.

In addition, international applicants are now also required to request a provincial attestation letter when applying for a student permit. The letter from the province confirms whether there is enough space at a given institution to approve a permit.

The new system is distributing 53 per cent of letters to public post-secondary institutions, and 47 per cent to private ones.

BIV reached out to high-ranking public post-secondary institutions across the province to understand the impact of these new policies.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University stated their international student enrolment levels have not surpassing the province’s mandated 30-per-cent limit. Both said that updated enrolment figures for 2024-25 will be released later this year. 

In 2023, international students made up approximately 28 per cent of the student body at UBC’s Vancouver campus, and about 22 per cent of the student population at its campus in the Okanagan.

In total, there were approximately 19,600 international students across both campuses—a figure that has increased by 92 per cent in the last 10 years, according to UBC’s annual 2023-24 enrolment report. 

In comparison, the domestic student population grew by only 10.6 per cent in the past decade.

UBC is currently below B.C.’s 30-per-cent threshold and is not anticipating that it will be affected by the cap, according to media relations senior director Matthew Ramsey.

UBC has acquired enough letters of attestation from the province for all qualified applicants, he added.

The provincial requirements are not anticipated to have a direct impact on UBC’s revenue either, and there have not been any changes to programs or courses to deal with the current restrictions, said Ramsey.

In 2023-24, UBC received $657 million from international tuition, which made up 26 per cent of total revenue. Domestic tuition revenue for that year was $400 million—15.9 per cent of total revenue.

Perhaps surprisingly, UBC’s data suggests slightly less dependance on and a steady growth in international student revenue.

For 2024-25, UBC anticipates a 6.5-per-cent increase in international tuition revenue to $700 million, which would account for about 25 per cent of the institution’s total revenue.

Domestic tuition is expected to remain relatively steady for 2024-25, according to UBC’s budget report.

However, there’s no question that policies which directly affect international students are considered by prospective students, who may have opted to not pursue studies in Canada this year.

At SFU, the institution’s international enrollment target is 25 per cent, and government policies have not affected student seats, program offerings or revenue, according to media relations director Michael Russell.

SFU reported having approximately 6,400 international students and 23,700 domestic students enrolled in fall 2023. International students accounted for roughly 21 per cent of the total student body, according to SFU’s 2023 fall international student report. 

Within that population, undergraduate international student numbers peaked in 2020 at around 5,450 and has been falling ever since, according to SFU. In 2023, international undergraduate tuition generated around $140 million and made up 44 per cent of all total undergraduate tuition. 

Meanwhile, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) reported an international student enrollment of 36 per cent for the 2023-24 academic year, six per cent above the province’s limit. 

About 8,000 international students and 12,800 domestic students were enrolled for the 2022-23 school year. Students from outside of Canada made up 38 per cent of the student body. 

During the same time, KPU reported around $128 million in revenue from international tuition, making up 48.7 per cent out of their total $262 million revenue.

Here, the impact seems to be more significant. Due to a heavy reliance on international students, the university is currently budgeting prudently as it receives continuous information on how these restrictions are affecting enrollment, said KPU president and vice-chancellor Dr. Alan Davis in a statement. 

“The university is providing alternative workload assignments to faculty teaching in areas experiencing low international student enrolment and a reduction in course sections,” he said. 

“Canada has lost its top spot as the most desirable destination, but much work is going on to change that and to diversify the source of new students.”

Though tuition revenues are down, Davis said it’s not as bad as it might have been.

Post-secondary institutions relying heavily on international students will be the most affected by the cap moving forward, especially private ones.

These organizations will continue to evaluate the impacts as their official enrollment numbers for 2024 are released later in the year.

Canada’s welcome mat rolls back

On January 22 of this year, the federal government announced that it would impose a cap on the number of new international students permitted to study in Canada, limiting the number of new permit issuances to approximately 360,000 for 2024.

“In recent years, the integrity of the international student system has been threatened,” read a government release. “Some institutions have significantly increased their intakes to drive revenues, and more students have been arriving in Canada without the proper support they need to succeed.”

Rapid increases in international students have also put pressure on housing, health care and other services, Ottawa added.

The cap represents a 35-per-cent decrease in approved study permits since last year and was made to stabilize growth for two years, according to Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller. 

Many were fearful of the far-reaching implications of these caps on Canadian communities, as international students account for about $22 billion a year to the economy, according to Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada.

The weight of these caps varies by province and territory, depending on where international student population growth has been the most “unsustainable.” Students renewing their permits, those pursuing a master or PhD program, or those attending elementary and secondary school are not affected. 

On January 29, the provincial government followed up with their own restrictions on post-secondary institutions, banning new colleges from enrolling international students until Feb. 2026 to tackle exploitive practices. 

These also included higher standards, minimum language requirements and added tuition transparency at private institutions. 

In July, there were approximately 553,000 post-secondary students in the province, including domestic and international students at private and public institutions. 

A total of 217,600 were international students, of which 111,900 were enrolled in public institutions, and 105,700 were in private institutions.

[email protected]

—With files from Daisy Xiong

• Oldest Newest

This has been shared 0 times

• Research and Innovation
• The Abstract
• Audio Abstract Podcast
• Centennial Campus
• Campus Life
• Faculty and Staff
• Awards and Honors
• HR and Finance
• Resilient Pack
• We Are the Wolfpack
• Service and Community
• Red Chair Chats
• News Releases
• In the News
• NC State Experts on 2024 Elections
• NC State Experts Available on Climate
• NC State Experts on Roe v. Wade
• NC State Supply Chain Experts
• Experts on COVID-19
• Hurricane Experts
• About NC State News
• Faculty Support
• Training Program

Meet Elevate Program Director Tamira White: ‘Elevate Is Going To Be a Transformational Experience’

Tamira White joined the NC State College of Education this past spring as the program director for Elevate, NC State’s new Inclusive Postsecondary Education Program. Administratively housed in the College of Education, Elevate is a university-wide initiative designed for North Carolina residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and will offer educational credentials, such as certificates. The program opened its admissions application this August and will enroll its first students in spring 2025.

In this Q&A, White shares more about the program and her background:

Tell us about Elevate and what makes it different.

Elevate is a brand new opportunity for students with IDD in North Carolina. With Elevate being at NC State, students will have the opportunity to explore careers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics). They will have access to the rich resources on campus and in the surrounding communities. We will use cutting-edge technology to provide each Elevate student an opportunity to grow academically and socially, and prepare them to launch their successful careers.

Tell us about the type of students who would be good candidates to apply for Elevate.

A great candidate for Elevate is a young person who is motivated to come to college to learn and grow and who is highly motivated to work.

What should prospective students and their families know about Elevate?

I want others to know that enrolling in Elevate is going to be a transformational experience related to academics, employment and connections to the community.

What most excites you about Elevate? 

This program excites me because these are new opportunities for young adults to come to college, continue to grow intellectually and explore and find careers that align with their passions.

Why did you want to be the program manager for Elevate? 

I wanted to be the program manager because this has been a dream for me for almost 10 years. I am from Durham and am excited for new opportunities to improve adulthood for North Carolina students in the Triangle and surrounding communities.

Why did you choose a career in this field?

I chose a career in transition. I want to help support young adults with developmental disabilities transition from high school to adulthood. I love helping improve the adulthood outcomes for young people.

Why should others choose Elevate?

Others should choose Elevate to experience top tier education and vocational training. There will be many opportunities to explore different careers and learn the skills necessary to be successful on campus, at work, at home and beyond.

This post was originally published in College of Education News.

• college of education
• faculty and staff

More From NC State News

NC State’s Jayant Baliga Wins Millennium Technology Prize 

Extension Director Receives Long Leaf Pine Award 

A College Student’s Guide to Voting 

U.S. education secretary highlights Ivy Tech as national model for post-secondary education

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Ivy Tech Valparaiso Wednesday as part of a back-to-school bus tour. Cardona toured the campus and spoke to manufacturing and nursing students to learn more about the programs.

Ivy Tech student Ryan Raleigh demonstrated how he operates robots in the college’s manufacturing training lab. He told Cardona he wants to own his own robotics business after finishing school.

In the nursing simulation lab, Cardona donned a virtual reality headset and watched as students delivered a virtual baby from a realistic, breathing mannequin.

He said Ivy Tech is an example for the rest of the country.

“We need schools like this,” he said. “This has to be the norm, not the exception. Yet, the reality is, not only are you the exception; in many cases you’re the exemplar.”

Cardona emphasized the need for low-cost options that prepare students for in-demand careers. He said Ivy Tech’s dual-credit programs, community partnerships and job placements are all geared to help students reach their goals.

After touring the campus, Cardona participated in a roundtable discussion with students, Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann and U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Highland). Cardona asked the students how Ivy Tech is preparing them for their careers.

Dexter Kehle, a junior at Chesterton High School, is interested in renewable energy and industrial electricity. He takes dual credit courses at Ivy Tech and plans to apply to Northern Indiana Public Service Company after he graduates. Ivy Tech partners with NIPSCO, so Kehle is guaranteed an interview.

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way . Text "Indiana" to 765-275-1120. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on statewide issues.

Nursing student Madeleine DeVries said she can pursue her career goals without going into more student loan debt. She has a nurse fellowship with St. Catherine Hospital and plans to finish her bachelor’s degree at Valparaiso University, another Ivy Tech partner.

DeVries said every professor and staff member knows how to guide students toward their goals.

Aaron O’Reilly, another nursing student, agreed. He went to a traditional four-year college initially but enrolled in Ivy Tech after he decided to make a career change.

“They’re here for your success always,” he said. “You never feel left behind in a course or program because they’re your champions.”

Cardona said community colleges are crucial to helping students of all ages and backgrounds find success in the current job market. He said two-year colleges will play an important role in filling gaps within the labor market.

“When we talk about supporting two-year colleges and we lift up two-year colleges, it’s because we believe this country’s growth is dependent on you,” he said.

Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at  [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair .

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election results
• Google trends
• AP & Elections
• U.S. Open Tennis
• Paralympic Games
• College football
• Auto Racing
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism

First graders take part in a ceremony marking the start of classes at a school as part of the traditional opening of the school year known as “Day of Knowledge” in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. Many schools across the country reopen on Sept. 1. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Pupils carry Russian flag during a ceremony marking the start of classes at a school as part of the traditional opening of the school year known as “Day of Knowledge” in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. Many schools across the country reopen on Sept. 1. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

First graders enter a school yard to take part in a ceremony marking the start of classes at a school as part of the traditional opening of the school year known as “Day of Knowledge” in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. Many schools across the country reopen on Sept. 1. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

A first grader takes part in a ceremony marking the start of classes at a school as part of the traditional opening of the school year known as “Day of Knowledge” in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds the Talking of What Matters open lesson, as part of the Russia - Land of Opportunities platform projects, at the Senezh Management Lab in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (Ekaterina Chesnokova, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visits the secondary school No 1579 on the first day of the new academic year in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (Dmitry Astakhov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an opening ceremony of new educational institutions in five regions of the country, via a video link in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, accompanied by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, visits the secondary school No 1579 on the first day of the new academic year in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (Dmitry Astakhov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin plays table tennis with a pupil during a visit to the secondary school No 1579 on the first day of the new academic year in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (Dmitry Astakhov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends an opening ceremony of the school year beginning known as the “Day of Knowledge” in the MGIMO (Moscow State University for Foreign Relations) in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

• Copy Link copied

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Clad in white shirts and carrying bouquets, children across Russia flocked back to school Friday, where the Kremlin’s narratives about the war in Ukraine and its confrontation with the West were taking an even more prominent spot than before.

Students are expected each week to listen to Russia’s national anthem and watch the country’s tricolor flag being raised. There’s a weekly subject loosely translated as “Conversations about Important Things,” which was introduced last year with the goal of boosting patriotism.

A new high school history textbook has a chapter on the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the “special military operation” — the Kremlin’s euphemism for the war, and some basic military training is included in a course on self-defense and first aid.

President Vladimir Putin even got involved, personally meeting Friday with 30 school students from different regions and describing Russians as “an invincible nation.” The Kremlin called it “an open lesson” as part of the “Conversations About Important Things” program of studies.

“School ... is a powerful mechanism for raising a person subordinate to the state,” said Nikolay Petrov, visiting researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “For a while the school was outside the active attention of the state. Today, it’s all coming back.”

The Kremlin became preoccupied with what was on the minds of young people several years ago, when teenagers and students flocked to unauthorized protests organized by now-imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny .

“The Kremlin suddenly began to pay a lot of attention to children and the youth,” Petrov noted.

Putin started meeting with young people regularly, and authorities started investing in pushing its political narrative. The effort appeared to be driven by the realization that a whole generation of people who grew up with Putin as president “can think differently than the Kremlin wants them to,” the analyst said.

There have been frequent media reports in recent years about teachers dressing down, shouting at or calling police on students who express support for the opposition or anti-government views.

The crackdown intensified after Moscow sent troops to Ukraine, and teachers were fired or forced to quit after refusing to hold sessions of the “Conversations About Important Things.” Parents faced pressure from school administrators and authorities if their children skipped those lessons.

Earlier this year, authorities the town of Yefremov, south of Moscow, convicted and imprisoned a single father whose daughter drew an antiwar sketch at school .

The Education Ministry has unveiled an 11th grade history textbook, with a chapter covering Russia from 2014 to the present. It justifies the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Ukraine, and paints the West as hostile toward Moscow. Questions about the fighting were featured in a sample of the final history exam that authorities recently released.

The practical course on self-defense and first aid now includes some basic military training, with students being taught about various weapons and lectures on information warfare and the dangers of extremist groups.

Some parents say they are rattled by these mandatory lessons.

“I’ve discovered that, to my horror, ideological lessons have become mandatory for my daughters and there is no chance of avoiding that,” said Sergei, a Muscovite whose two daughters have just started high school. He and other parents spoke to The Associated Press on the condition that their last names not be revealed out of concerns for their safety.

“I now have to explain and ask the girls to be more careful with what they say in school in order to not inflict harm on themselves,” he said.

Sergei said his daughters, whose hobby is ballroom dancing, are “all of a sudden asking questions about the flight range of missiles and drones.”

“The mind of school students becomes militarized, history textbooks are being rewritten, mandatory ideology is being imposed,” he said. “Russian schools rapidly turn back to the worst Soviet examples, when two histories and two truths existed.”

A parent now has fewer opportunities to protect kids “from brainwashing,” he added.

Other Muscovites told AP they were lucky to have their children attend schools where teachers weren’t following the directives to the letter, trying to stay away from politics.

“We got teachers who understand everything. They won’t say out loud that they’re against ‘Conversations About Important Things,’” said Vladimir, whose daughter is in a Moscow school.

“We got a teacher who came up with her own content for the lesson and talked about, for example, theater, history of Moscow, other depoliticized topics without ideology,” he said.

Anna, whose son attends middle school in Moscow, also said she is grateful to the school and its administrators for not taking “an aggressive stance” and not resorting to propaganda. She said the school has the weekly anthem ceremony and featured a lesson about Crimea last year, but little else, “so I’m not worried about it.”

Vladimir believes that teachers who are well-educated, critical thinkers will be able to circumvent the requirements. If they are “crafty and flexible,” he said, they will probably “formally implement what they’re being told, but in reality quietly sabotage it.”

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Building a Strong Foundation to Improve Learning Outcomes in Ethiopia

Grade 8 students at Sabian No. 3 Primary and Secondary School, Dire Dawa Ethiopia. Key teachers sit  at the back conducting Continious Classroom Assessment (CCA).    

Photo: World Bank

Eldana is a 6-year-old student in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. She enjoys learning and wants to become a teacher. She is part of the O-Class, a pre-primary educational program in Ethiopia. O-Class is designed to help more students improve their learning outcomes by ensuring they are better prepared for primary school. This, in turn, reduces the likelihood that they will drop out or repeat Grade 1.

O-Class uses a play-based curriculum suitable for young children. It also provides teacher training and learning materials.

Before O-Class was introduced, primary education completion rates in Ethiopia registered at 50%. This low efficiency was partly due to many students attending school irregularly and not starting their education at the official enrollment age. In fact, many over-age children start Grade 1, likely due to grade repetition.

Through the General Education Quality Improvement Program for Equity (GEQIP-E) , the Government of Ethiopia has made significant strides in enhancing internal efficiency, equitable access, and the overall quality of education. Launched in 2017, GEQIP-E has implemented a range of targeted interventions across all of Ethiopia’s primary and secondary public schools. It is a government-led and multi-donor-supported initiative to strengthen the education sector from the bottom up and ensure students and teachers receive the support they need. First introduced in 2010, the O-class provides pre-primary children with a strong foundation for handling primary school challenges and navigating their transition from first to second grade.

Improving Internal Efficiency

“[GEQIP-E was necessary because] the country’s education system urgently needed to rebuild its capacity, particularly at the foundational levels. Without a strong base in both cognitive and non-cognitive skills, students’ learning would be less effective in later stages. Therefore, the program primarily targeted early grades and ensured that children entering primary education possess basic numeracy and literacy skills,” said Hiroshi Saeki, former GEQIP-E Task Team Leader from the World Bank.

As of 2023, the O-class program has benefited over 2.3 million children, and the government extended it to a two-year pre-primary program alongside its other interventions.

“This is certainly a move in the right direction,” said Kirill Vasiliev, previous GEQIP-E Task Team Leader. “O-Class has great potential for impact at scale. It will be great to assess the results carefully, discuss it with the policymakers, and explore the options to scale up the O-Class approach”. Indeed, despite challenges such as the impact of COVID-19 and recent conflicts on school attendance, as of 2022/23 Ethiopia has achieved an 88% transition rate to grade two.

Improving Quality

The O-Class is a new approach for Ethiopia, necessitating the modification of previous methods of instructing young children. To deliver O-Class objectives, GEQIP-E provides O-Class training programs for O-Class teachers and their school administrators on how to teach preprimary children.

Dagmawit Eshetu, Eldana’s teacher, says: “I have taken O class training. It is very different from the training I have taken previously because, at the time, we didn’t know how to teach children. But now we understand how to teach them, play with them, and bring out their interest in education. For instance, we use songs for teaching; they learn the alphabet through singing, and we tell stories. Although the children think they only play while singing, they learn a lot through play.”

While the outlook for preprimary education is promising, the challenges of reforming Ethiopia’s education system are vast. Ethiopia has 27 million students, and the number and quality of teachers available to them will significantly impact their school performance.

While the government has worked hard to train more teachers, many do not pass their licensing exams. When they begin teaching, they face overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of school materials. Zemen Ashenafi is a math and key teacher at Nigist Fura School in Hawassa City, Sidama region. Key teachers work alongside subject teachers to support the delivery of lesson plans and help teachers apply recommended pedagogical methods. Zemen identifies insufficient training opportunities as a critical challenge for new teachers.

Throughout its implementation, GEQIP-E delivered a training and coaching program for teachers, school leaders, and supervisors. The program also focused on developing digital skills among secondary school teachers through training, providing tablets and assessment tools, and supplying textbooks for critical subjects in primary and middle schools. In total, 102,117 teachers have been trained. As a result, these efforts significantly improved learning outcomes, particularly in middle schools.

As part of GEQIP-E, teachers were also trained in Continuous Classroom Assessment (CCA). This pedagogical method allows teachers to continuously assess students’ progress and understanding of the taught material on a daily basis. Students are then categorized according to their needs: those who require intensive support, average support, and enrichment.

“CCA requires the students to revise the topics they haven’t comprehended well,” said Bereket Arega, a school principal in Hawassa. “It requires teachers to continuously evaluate the classroom, identifying the problematic areas that the children are facing and supporting them. The plan enables the teacher to assess and flexibly adapt to the situation.”

According to Zemen Ashenafi, CCA training has significantly improved the teaching and learning process. The classes have become more interactive, with increased student engagement. Students’ reading habits have improved, and they are now involved in more creative activities. Additionally, she observes that CCA training has motivated and increased the drive of teachers to teach.

Ensuring Equitable Access

Ethiopia’s Education Statistics Annual Abstract reported that in 2015/16, only 8.1% of children with special needs were enrolled in primary schools and 1.5% in secondary education. Challenges in supporting children with special needs in mainstream schools include a lack of awareness and capacity to implement special needs education activities and a lack of educational resources.

Ethiopian schools also need to be safer and more accessible for female students. This includes ensuring the availability of separate latrines for girls, hiring female teachers, and developing and delivering life skills training, counseling, and adolescent girls’ empowerment programs.

Thanks to GEQIP-E, there has been significant progress in ensuring equitable access to education. Over 72% of primary schools are now equipped to support girls’ enrollment and retention through the establishment of gender clubs at the school level. In historically disadvantaged regions, such as Afar, Somali, and Benishangul-Gumuz, the gross enrollment rate of girls in upper primary schools has improved significantly, increasing from a 2017 baseline of 39% to 45% in 2023. To meet the needs of children with special needs, GEQIP-E established 1,400 Inclusive Education Resource Centers nationwide. These centers provide essential services to over 148,528 students, 52% of whom are girls with special needs. GEQIP-E has also prioritized training over 10,000 teachers and experts in inclusive settings, enabling them to teach children with special needs effectively.

Says Semira Kemal, a special needs student in Addis Ababa: “I’ve received different materials from the resource center in my school. My stylus was broken, and I got a new one from here. I also got a slate and voice recorder; these all are helping me a lot.”

“In the past, our society used to hide their special needs children at home,” said Ejeta Mekonnen. “Through these centers, we have provided support for eyeglasses. We have also provided support for wheelchairs. In the past, students’ parents had to carry them to school, but now they successfully use wheelchairs to go to school and learn.”

Education in Post-Conflict Settings

One major cause of educational inequality is the effect that conflict has on children.

“Currently, Ethiopia’s education sector is affected by natural and man-made disasters, resulting in millions of children who are out of school,” said Mezgebu Biazin, Executive Officer at the Ministry of Education, who emphasized that in conflict-affected areas, teachers and school leaders have experienced trauma. He stressed the importance of providing support and training to teachers before focusing on regular teaching and learning activities.

Abdul Hai Sofizada, current GEQIP-E Task Team Leader, explains: “GEQIP-E has been evolving to address some of the emergency needs of the education sector over the last several years”.

“GEQIP-E has been playing a critical role in supporting the recovery effort throughout the country in the continuity of educational services,” said Ademe Zeyede Hailu, Economist and GEQIP-E co-task Team Leader.

In addition to supporting the rehabilitation of schools affected by the recent conflict and providing psychosocial support to school community members, Ademe noted that the program is constructing 500 classrooms in 50 primary schools in conflict-affected areas where existing schools have been damaged. Once completed, these schools are estimated to enroll approximately 22,500 students. Furthermore, Ethiopia hosts around 1 million refugees, a figure that has grown since the onset of conflict in Sudan. Addressing the educational needs of refugee communities is a priority for the government, as education is a fundamental right of refugee children.

GEQIP-E has supported refugee primary schools by providing learning materials, school grants, and teacher training programs. This has benefited 52 refugee schools and 1,346 refugee incentive teachers (refugee incentive teachers are those refugees able to work as teachers for a UN or NGO agency in exchange for a monthly stipend). Meanwhile, six refugee secondary schools have successfully integrated into the government system, while an additional four schools are currently in the process of being integrated, with top-up school grants being provided to aid their integration.

Additionally, GEQIP-E empowers refugee girls, promotes self-directed learning, and provides support for refugee schools by providing WASH facilities and sanitary pads. The program also provides essential resources such as vehicles, motorbikes, and tablets to refugee-hosting regions.

World Bank in Ethiopia

Education in Eastern and Southern Africa

This site uses cookies to optimize functionality and give you the best possible experience. If you continue to navigate this website beyond this page, cookies will be placed on your browser. To learn more about cookies, click here .