Political parties answer education survey as election looms

Voters now have more insight on how New Brunswick's political parties feel about education issues.

Last month, the New Brunswick Teachers' Association sent out the same eight questions to all political parties. The Green, Liberal, Progressive Conservativeand New Democratic parties all provided answers, while the People's Alliance did not. The NDP has not hadan MLA in New Brunswick since 2003.

The questions mostly involved spending on public education, recruiting and retaining teachers, and involving teachers in policy making.

Association president Peter Lagacy said the group would not endorse any party but wanted to get clear answers for teachers and the public to be better informed when voting.

"I think what the questions do, for us and for the public, it allows us to hold parties to account," Lagacy said Monday after the survey results were released.

"If they said they were going to do it prior to the election, then as the next two or three years unfold, it's something we can go back to and say, 'This is what you had talked about prior to the election, and why aren't you,' or 'Thank you for following through on your promises.'"

Watch | Holding parties to account. Why political survey matters:

Teachers association on why they sent survey to political parties

25 days ago

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NBTA president Peter Lagacy releases the results of the education survey ahead of the provincial election.

Lagacy said the latest data shows the province heading into a new school year short 174 teachers, which puts teachers "behind the eight ball right away."

"You wonder, where has all the effort gone, and have we made any improvements?"

The Progressive Conservatives, under Premier Blaine Higgs, attracted controversy in recent years with rewriting part of Policy 713 on gender identity, for example, and trying to change French immersion. In June, Higgs had to clarify his comments after saying he would be worried if his daughters attended public schools now.

In its answers to the teachers' survey, the Liberal Partysaid it is dedicated to stability in education, citing worsening literacy and numeracy rates since the pandemic. The party would also implement universal free breakfast and pay-what-you-can lunches for students, and implement an education staffing plan.

"While underfunding is an issue, we must also examine how funds are allocated through the system," the party said.

The Liberals also highlighted what their leader, Susan Holt, learnedfrom speaking with teachers around the province.

"Nearly every educator she spoke with identified that the system as a whole is underfunded and in urgent need of support."

The Green Party, under leader David Coon, said it recognizes the need to spend more on public education. It wouldincrease child-care spaces, ensure equitable funding for francophone centres, improve wages and benefits for early childhood educators, and support neurodivergent children.

The party also mentioned giving schools budgetary autonomy, providing universal meal programs, and working with staff and unions on recruitment and retention strategies.

"The Green Party acknowledges the critical need to address the underfunding of public schools and is dedicated to tackling this issue urgently," the party said.

Defending its spending on education, the Progressive Conservative Party said the education budget has grown from $1.2 billion in 2018 to $2 billion this year. The government would look for how to spend money efficiently, and not just at how much is spent.

The NDP, under leader Alex White, said the urgentneed for more school funding can't be overstated, and student numbers have increased without a suitable match in funding.

On the question of using public funds for private education, all parties said they were against it.

On the question of how parties would restore and enhance a mentorship program for new teachers, the Greens said it supports making it more accessible to new teachers. The Liberals said it would spend more on recruitment and retention. The PCs said all teachers need to be supported and new teachers would have the opportunity for mentorship. The NDP said it would follow the lead of teacher recommendations.

As for recruitment and retention, the Greens said they would offer competitive salaries, foster a supportive work environment, reduce administrative burdens, and ensure manageable class sizes.

The Liberals said they would focus on removing roadblocks for new teachers. They want to find out why fewer people are becoming teachers and why people leave the province to teach elsewhere.

The PCs said the role of educational assistants should be reviewed and laid out a timeline for doing so.

The teachers' survey also asked about policies promoting a positive work and learning environment in schools that "restores respect, prevents harassment in school communities and online."

"Over the past six years, we have witnessed how a government focused on its own agenda within the education system can negatively impact students, teachers, and the goal of ensuring all New Brunswick students have what they need to succeed," said the Liberals.

The PCs pointed to the existing policy on a positive working and learning environment as already having clear guidelines.

A question at the end of the survey asked, "How will your party ensure decisions impacting education are not swayed by destabilizing political agendas?"

The Greens said that both the Liberals and PCs have interfered in education in the past with changes to French immersion and Policy 713 that have "harmed student performance."

"The education system desperately needs stability after being used to create wedge issues for political gain by the Higgs government," the Liberal Party said.

The NDP said district education councils should have more control over policy, and provincial education policies should be more long term.