Second International Education Week in Canada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

International Education: Canada Partnering with the World

November 14–18, 2005

Toronto, November 10, 2005 -- Ministers of education across Canada are pleased to support International Education Week (IEW), which will take place from November 14–18. The purpose of IEW is to raise awareness in participating countries of the benefits of international education.

International education comprises multi-faceted exchanges between Canada and other countries:  student, teacher, research and knowledge, or curricula. Canadians also contribute to improving education in developing countries. All levels of education in Canada benefit significantly from these exchanges, just as they benefit from exchanges among schools, colleges, and universities between and among the provinces and territories.

“International Education: Canada Partnering with the World” pays tribute to the collaborative spirit of Canadian students and Canadian education stakeholders in their interactions with their global counterparts at home and abroad. “The world is changing rapidly,” said Joan Burke, Minister of Education for Newfoundland and Labrador and Chair of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC). “It is therefore important that we consider the interchanges between our students and education systems, not only here in Canada, but throughout the world.”

IEW in Canada is a reflection of the spirit of cooperation from the various members of education communities across Canada, who have joined forces to highlight the importance of international education. International Education Week is designed to showcase the significant contribution that international education makes in preparing Canadians for the global world, and it supports and reinforces Canada's efforts to engage effectively on the international stage. 

More information can be found on the International Education Week Web site at www.iew-sei.ca.

CMEC is an intergovernmental body composed of the ministers responsible for elementary-secondary and advanced education from the provinces and territories.  Through CMEC, ministers share information and undertake projects in areas of mutual interest and concern.

- 30 -

Information
Sheila Molloy
Tel.: (416) 962-8100, ext. 247
E-mail: s.molloy@cmec.ca
Web site: www.cmec.ca