Figure 2.8

No gender difference exists for problem solving at the national level and with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, where females score higher than males, and Quebec, where males score higher than females, gender differences by jurisdiction are not significant.

Educational attainment and proficiency in the four domains

The value of a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy, to educational success is shown consistently in research studies (Postlethwaite and Ross, 1992; OECD, 2003; Gonzales et al., 2004). At the same time, high levels of education should be expected to lead to higher levels of proficiency in both literacy and numeracy.

Across all four domains, higher levels of education are associated with higher levels of proficiency (Figures 2.9 A to D). For prose and document literacy as well as for numeracy, approximately one-third of the population aged 16 and over with a university degree is at the highest levels of proficiency compared to four percent of the population without a high school diploma. On the problem solving scale, less than one percent of those without a high school diploma achieved Level 4 or 5 compared to 12 percent among those with a university degree.