NB Government releases ten-year education plans, leaves implementation up to educators

The New Brunswick government has released its long-awaited ten-year education plans for the province, leaving flexibility for its implementation.

Premier Brian Gallant released the plans Thursday — one for the Anglophone sector and another for the Francophone sector.

The English plan, titled ‘Everyone at their best‘ outlines goals including improving literacy and math skills, ensuring proficiency in fundamental language skills and fostering leadership citizenship and entrepreneurial spirit.

The plan outlines the goals, but it doesn’t go into ‘how’ the objectives should be achieved.  The government says it’s leaving the implementation up to individual school districts, educators and community leaders.

Gallant says this is the largest education investment in provincial history.

He says all political parties, experts and communities contributed their ideas on how to improve the education system.

The plans stem from recommendations released in an education plan in June  — that was based on public consultations.

READ MORE: Education plan recommendations in, government aims for September rollout

New Brunswick Teachers’ Association president Guy Arsenault says he likes the flexibility that allows for creative implementation.

“I hope that the data collection and the management process doesn’t hamper the work that teachers do in the classroom,” Arsenault said.

Conservative MLA Jody Carr says the opposition is fairly pleased with the plan, but says they want to make sure the proper resources will be provided. Carr says there should be an implementation plan that the stakeholders, teachers, parents and community organizations are part of.

“We have not seen that assured,” Carr said.

Green Party leader David Coon says the current system lacks the resources needed for educators to achieve the goals laid out in the government’s plan.

The government says a performance management process will be used to track progress and the department will work with school districts and partners to develop an implementation plan.