RECOMMENDATION

That the Commission recommend a mechanism, including active citizen participation, to begin the development of National Goals and Standards for Education for Canadians.

SOCIAL SUPPORT

The Choice Between Economic Efficiency and Social Equity

When the individual is the highest unit of value in society, the choice between economic efficiency and social equity must always be social equity. Economic efficiency must always be regarded as a means for achieving maximum well-being for individuals. Consequently, the role and purpose of policies and spending for social security must always be for the improvement of the well-being of individuals in society. The underlying principle of such policies and spending must be universal, equal access of all individuals to the opportunities provided by government.

When economic efficiency becomes the primary aim of government policies and spending, the economic system replaces the individual as the highest unit of value in society. The economic system with its dominant goal of efficiency, is at all times a means created by individuals for the achievement of human ends. The latter must never be compromised for the former.

Child Care Services

If women are to achieve self-reliance via paid employment, then they cannot be expected to be responsible for the full time care of children. Accessible, high quality and affordable child care services are, therefore, an important social support for working women. The productivity of these women depends heavily upon such a social support program. Lack of adequate child care services is an obstacle to women's quest for excellence in their work in the public sphere.

Achievement of excellence requires heavy investment of mental and physical energy. Women's dual responsibilities in the paid labour force and in the home make it extremely difficult for them to put this kind of effort into their jobs.

THE ROLE OF THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR IN THE DELIVERY OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Self-reliance pertains not only to individuals in society but to groups of individuals as well. The voluntary sector in Canada is a tribute to this ideal of our society. It consists of private citizens working together to help themselves and others. These groups should be invited and funded by government to increase their present delivery of social and community services. The voluntary sector is also a sector with many specializations. Government can utilize the expertise and community base of voluntary organizations in the delivery of social services.

There is, however, another side to the role of the voluntary sector in the delivery of social services. This side must be attended to if the voluntary sector is to remain an active and vital part of our society. It is a well known fact that the present majority of volunteers in Canada are women. However, if the forecasts which say that an increasing number of women are entering the labour force and that by the 1990's the female labour force participation rate will be equal to that of men, are correct, then the voluntary sector will suffer from a serious shortage of workers, and will have to cutback on its delivery of social and community services. If this implication of the increasing female labour force is to be avoided, the voluntary sector must receive assistance with respect to its labour needs. This assistance can come from government which, in the interest of achieving full employment for Canadians, can provide voluntary organizations with the financial means for hiring paid workers. The political and organizational implications of such assistance are many and controversial. These must be articulated and addressed before the voluntary sector experiences a withdrawal of women from its labour force into the paid labour force.