Title: PIRLS 2021 International Results in Reading 

Author: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center 

Publisher: Boston College 

Year: 2023 

Format: PDF 

Description:
Results from an international study conducted every five years indicate a reduction in reading achievement among fourth grade students following the pandemic in 21 of the 32 countries in which a comparison is possible with the previous study in 2016.* The study also links the results with a number of indicators, including socioeconomic status, literacy activities before starting school, school climate, and student attitudes toward reading.  

*While the study is recognized as very reliable, the authors caution prudence when interpreting the 2021 results due to the exceptional nature of the pandemic and the variation in measures put in place to counter it. Moreover, comparison of results for countries and provinces that, like Quebec, have postponed the 2021 evaluation to grade 5, is treated separately.  

Document : PIRLS 2021 International Results in Reading 

Title: Elementary–Secondary Education Survey, 2020/2021 

Author: Statistics Canada 

Publisher: Statistics Canada 

Year: 2022 

Format: Website 

Description:
The most recent 2020–2021 Elementary-Secondary Education Survey (ESES) from Statistics Canada highlights the pandemic’s effects on education. Notably, it shows a 106% increase in homeschooling, especially among younger students, along with a slightly higher high school graduation rate (+0.5%). Every year, ESES assembles data on public and private schools across Canada. 

Document: Elementary–Secondary Education Survey, 2020/2021