New Brunswick tries new approach after disappointing results under 10-year education plan

New Brunswick is starting another long-term plan to turn around student achievement, after one expert says previous education plans have fallen short.

The education minister says this time will be different, but questions remain about whether the new approach actually addresses what’s been holding students back.

Paul Bennett, a senior fellow with the MacDonald-Laurier Institute, has a stark warning about the possible consequences.

“The stakes are incredibly high. I am very concerned about the future of New Brunswick children,” he said.

The province, led by then-premier Brian Gallant, set out 10 years ago to dramatically improve student achievement. In 2015, 15-year-old New Brunswick students scored about 22 points below the Canadian average in reading, math, and science.

Results released last week from 2025 testing showed New Brunswick ranked last among the provinces in all three subjects, with the gap growing to roughly 35 points.

“I would say, a colossal failure in terms of objectives,” said Bennett.

In June, a report from Auditor General Paul Martin found the province missed all provincial literacy assessment targets during the 2022-2025 audit period.

Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson says this government has a new plan that sets annual targets, and has action plans that will be revisited every three years.

“We’re not going to wait 10 or 12 years to see if we’re meeting our targets. We’re actually going to be looking at that in three-year cycles,” said Johnson.

“If we are not seeing that improvement that we want to see, then we’re going to be able to act quickly and correct.”

The plan sets out priority areas that include creating strong foundational skills in literacy and numeracy, and a focus on well-being.

Johnson adds that improving results also means meeting students’ basic needs through breakfast and lunch programs, more academic supports, and reducing distractions — including a new cellphone ban implemented this year.

“If we make sure that students are well fed, they’re much better prepared to learn,” she said.

But Bennett cautions against explaining the results through social and economic challenges alone.

“Child poverty and socioeconomic challenges are relevant to this, but they are often used as an excuse,” he said.

“You cannot just recycle old ideas, relabel them, and package them.”