Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning, 2002 [Canada]

Statistics Canada was approached by Human Resources Development Canada to conduct a cross sectional survey which would examine how Canadians are preparing their children for postsecondary education. Parents/guardians can participate in several ways. They can pro-actively plan for the financing of their children's postsecondary education by putting aside savings for that purpose and by actively participating in government sponsored mechanisms that facilitate savings for postsecondary education (i.e., Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP), Canada Education Savings Grants (CESG)). They can also prepare in a non-monetary fashion by encouraging, guiding and supporting their children through their early education, thereby laying the groundwork for successful participation in postsecondary education. Since its inception, two surveys have now been completed, the first in 1999 and the second in 2002. Both surveys had substantially the same objectives, however the methodologies differed between the two. In 2002, the Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning was restricted to households with children 0 to 18 years of age, and based on one selected child per household. In 1999 the survey was based on as many as three children per household, and was not restricted to households with children between the ages of 0 and 18 only.