Education plan recommendations in, government aims for September rollout

The New Brunswick government has received its education plan recommendation report for both anglophone and francophone students.

Co-chairs Karen Power and Gino LeBlanc delivered their reports today entitled “Expecting the Best From Everyone” (anglophone) and “Focus on Education: Learners for Life” (francophone).

“We want to build on this understanding that an engaging education system with high expectations for student success and skill development in areas such as: critical thinking, creativity, inquiry based learning, problem solving, communication and collaboration is really needed in New Brunswick so that our children and students can meet their potential,” Power said at the announcement.

“Learning is valued in New Brunswick, we’ve learned that from this consultation,” said Power.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Learning is valued in New Brunswick, we've learned that from this consultation," said Power.

The anglophone recommendations come in six segments.

Key goals are to:

• Identify systems for success.
• Combine with the in-depth Child Care Review Task Force for Early Childhood Education.
• Meet the diverse needs of children and youth with challenges such as mental health issues and poverty.
• Honour First Nations.
• Update learners’ skills and rewrite outdated curriculum and create effective learning cultures and strengthen school leadership.

The report is now in the hands of Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Brian Kenny who says with the recommendations the government will have their work completed in time for the upcoming school year

“That’s our intentions to be able to take the plan, look at all the recommendations,” Kenny said. “It’s going to be a very busy summer”

“I do believe that this is going to be a plan that we see advancing our education system now and into the future,” Kenny said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I do believe that this is going to be a plan that we see advancing our education system now and into the future," Kenny said.

Hampton MLA and former school principal Gary Crossman isn’t confident the provincial government can deliver in such a timeline though.

“School staffing takes place in March and right now it’d be too late to put staff in place, programs in place,” Crossman said. “The earliest possible time would be most likely September 2017 if the government chooses to do that.”

Power and LeBlanc were appointed co-chairs a year ago and engaged with students, teachers parents and other community leaders in developing their recommendations.