FREDERICTON — A new report aimed at improving New Brunswick’s English-language school system recommends tackling chronic student absenteeism and rethinking the practice of promoting failing students to the next grade so they can remain with their peers.
The report released Thursday by a provincial steering committee also recommends greater flexibility for entry into French immersion programs based on readiness and an examination of class sizes in order to better address the specific needs of students.
Education Minister Bill Hogan said the provincial government has accepted all 12 of the long-term recommendations and will release more details on how it plans to implement each action by March 31.
“We are confident that these actions will be the foundation for positive change in the anglophone education system and will benefit students, educators and our families,” Hogan told a news conference in Fredericton, adding that they address “long-standing issues.”
Hogan said the recommendations build on eight short-term actions that were announced in July, which included the establishment of a centre of excellence for French second-language training.
The steering committee was announced in April after Hogan cancelled the government’s controversial plan to replace French immersion. The committee established a working group that held consultations from May to September and also received feedback from more than 3,000 members of the public through an online survey.
Among the other recommendations is a call to improve the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers and specialized health professionals in the education system and more dedicated training to support educational assistants.
The report also recommends exploring more outdoor education opportunities for students along with providing 30 minutes of physical education each day for students in kindergarten through Grade 8.
“A lot of these things are not new, there are a lot of things that have been echoed in various reports,” said Ardith Shirley, the committee’s co-chair who is also executive director of the New Brunswick Teachers Association.
Shirley expressed hope the report would spur action given the public dissatisfaction that was expressed during previous consultations on French immersion.
“I do think there is an opportunity,” she said. “We had significant parent and public engagement and people got very concerned for the first time in a long time about public education.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.
— By Keith Doucette in Halifax
The Canadian Press
