New Brunswick Schools: Closure Concerns

In April 2020, New Brunswick's education minister, Dominic Cardy, announced that schools in the province would remain closed for the rest of the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cardy emphasised the priority of public health and safety and assured that measures would be implemented to support students' continued education through home-learning options. This decision was made to ensure the safety of students and staff, and schools were asked to adapt to remote learning for the remainder of the academic year.

Schools in New Brunswick closed due to COVID-19

On April 2, 2020, New Brunswick's Education Minister, Dominic Cardy, announced that schools in the province would remain closed for the rest of the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cardy emphasised that the immediate priority was the health and safety of the public, but assured that the department was committed to ensuring that students could continue their education remotely.

Home-Learning Options

Cardy stated that a plan had been developed to provide home-learning options for students in New Brunswick. He explained that the amount of time students would be expected to spend on home learning each day would vary depending on their grade level, ranging from one to two-and-a-half hours. The Education Minister also clarified that the school year would not be extended.

Supporting Families

Cardy acknowledged the important role of parents in encouraging their children to complete the provided material and continue learning. However, he emphasised that they were not expected to recreate a classroom environment or take on the full role of a teacher. Families facing technological challenges were advised to work with teachers to find solutions.

Impact on Graduation and Post-Secondary Studies

Cardy reassured students that those who were on track to continue to the next grade level or graduate in January would still be able to do so. He also stated that his department would work with post-secondary institutions to ensure that the crisis would not affect students' eligibility for admission to post-secondary studies in the upcoming school year.

Home-learning options for students

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional learning in New Brunswick, with schools closing and students transitioning to home-learning. This has understandably caused concern for parents, who are now responsible for their children's education. While the province works on a virtual learning plan, there are several options available for students to continue their education at home.

Online Learning

Private schools in New Brunswick, such as Rothesay Netherwood School, have already implemented online learning plans. Students at these schools have access to laptops and course information, allowing them to continue their studies through video conferences and online resources. This approach ensures that students can maintain a healthy routine and stay connected with their teachers and counsellors.

Parent-Led Learning

For parents who wish to take a more active role in their children's education, there are alternatives to traditional online learning. Ross Leadbetter, a retired teacher and principal, suggests that parents can break the "educational paralysis" by engaging their children in problem-solving or skill-building activities. For example, learning how to bake or build birdhouses can be just as valuable as online classes, as it stimulates critical thinking and creativity.

Public Resources

New Brunswick's public education system provides a range of resources for students and parents. The district is committed to offering a superb education through an extensive and ever-improving curriculum. The province's four public universities also offer a wide variety of educational programs that can be accessed remotely. Additionally, the USDA is offering a new federal program to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer, providing additional support for families.

Adult Learning Centres

New Brunswick is also home to adult learning centres that cater to the needs of older learners. The New Brunswick Adult Learning Centre, for example, has provided education to more than 4,000 graduates. These centres can be a valuable resource for parents who are navigating home-learning and seeking additional support or alternative educational paths for their children.

While the closure of schools in New Brunswick has presented challenges, there are a variety of home-learning options available to students. By utilising online resources, parent-led learning, public educational programs, and adult learning centres, students can continue their education and maintain their well-being during these uncertain times.

No extension of the school year

Schools in New Brunswick, Canada, will remain closed for the rest of the school year, with no extension of the school year. This decision was made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the priority being the health and safety of the public. Education Minister Dominic Cardy announced on April 2, 2020, that there would be no more face-to-face classes unless there was a drastic improvement in the situation.

The closure of schools in New Brunswick is not an isolated case, as schools across the world have had to shut down due to the pandemic. During this challenging time, the education minister and his department are committed to ensuring that students can continue their education through home-learning options. Students will be provided with online and printed materials to support their learning, and teachers will be available to address any technological challenges that families may face.

The home-learning plans will vary depending on the student's grade level, with students spending between one and two-and-a-half hours a day on their studies. While parents are expected to encourage their children to complete the provided materials, they are not expected to recreate a classroom environment or take on the full role of a teacher. The education minister has assured that all students who were on track to continue to the next grade or graduate will do so.

The impact of school closures on students' education is a concern, especially with the high number of storm days resulting in lost instructional time. In 2015, Paul Bennett, a Halifax-based education consultant, highlighted the need for the provincial government to revise the school calendar and address the shrinking school year. Bennett noted that New Brunswick has fewer teaching days compared to other provinces, and the combination of storm days further reduces classroom time for students.

While there have been efforts to improve academic performance, such as lengthening the school day by 30 minutes, New Brunswick students continue to face challenges. In 2014, they scored below average on international math tests, and the province ranked 22nd out of 26 comparator jurisdictions in the Conference Board of Canada's How Canada Performs study. These issues highlight the importance of ensuring that students have access to quality education and the necessary resources to succeed.

Encouraging students to read and exercise

Reading

For students to develop a love of reading, it is important that they find reading enjoyable and interesting. Here are some tips to encourage students to read:

• Make reading easy: Provide students with texts that are easy to process and understand. Offer a summary of the text before reading, or provide a simplified version of the text before moving on to the more complex version.
• Explain the benefits: Take time to explain to students the benefits of reading, especially reading relatively easy texts. Emphasize that reading improves language skills and vocabulary, and is crucial for academic success.
• Give some choice: Allow students to have some degree of choice in what they read. Offer a range of texts from various sources and encourage students to select what interests them. This can make reading more enjoyable and help build a habit of reading.
• Use tasks: Instead of always assigning specific texts, set tasks that require students to find relevant sources and read to complete them. This helps develop their ability to select appropriate texts and motivates them to read as they can see a clear purpose.
• Monitor progress: Regularly assess students' reading progress and provide additional support where necessary. This is important as weaknesses in reading can impact long-term academic success, and differences in reading ability can emerge quickly.
• Make reading a conversation: Encourage students to discuss what they are reading. This can be done through reading journals, study groups, or classroom discussions. This helps students engage with the text and improve their comprehension.
• Make reading enjoyable: Reading should be presented as a fun activity rather than a chore. Avoid making reading feel like a punishment. Create reading competitions, challenges, or special events to spice up literature and give students an incentive to read.
• Connect reading to real life: Help students make connections between what they read and their own lives or experiences. This can make reading more relatable and interesting.
• Provide a variety of reading materials: Offer a range of reading materials, including books, magazines, articles, and audiobooks, to cater to different interests and learning styles.
• Encourage reading at home: Suggest reading as a free-time activity and recommend that parents model good reading habits at home.
• Make reading a routine: Establish a regular reading time, even if it's just a few minutes each day. This helps build a habit of reading and improves reading skills over time.

Exercise

In addition to encouraging reading, promoting regular exercise among students is also important for their overall well-being. Here are some tips to encourage students to exercise:

• Make it fun: Organize enjoyable physical activities that students will look forward to, such as sports games, dance sessions, or outdoor adventures.
• Offer a variety of options: Provide a range of exercise options to cater to different interests and abilities, such as team sports, individual activities, or fitness classes.
• Lead by example: Teachers and parents can model an active lifestyle by participating in exercises themselves. This can inspire students to follow suit.
• Incorporate exercise into daily routines: Encourage students to walk or bike to school, take active breaks during study sessions, or join extracurricular sports teams.
• Highlight the benefits: Help students understand the benefits of exercise for their physical and mental health. Emphasize how exercise can improve mood, energy levels, and overall well-being.
• Provide opportunities for social connection: Exercise can be a great way to foster friendships and social interaction. Organize group exercises or team-building activities that encourage collaboration and camaraderie.
• Set goals and offer rewards: Help students set achievable fitness goals and provide incentives or rewards for reaching those goals. This can motivate students to stay active.
• Make it accessible: Ensure that exercise opportunities are inclusive and accessible to all students, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds. Offer modifications or adaptations as needed.
• Integrate exercise into the curriculum: Include physical education classes or active learning experiences in the school curriculum. This can help students associate exercise with fun and learning.
• Collaborate with the community: Partner with local fitness organizations, sports teams, or community groups to offer exercise programs or events for students.
• Provide resources and education: Offer resources and guidance to help students develop a lifelong habit of exercise. This can include information on different types of exercises, the importance of rest and recovery, and creating a balanced fitness routine.

Impact on graduation ceremonies

In 2020, schools in New Brunswick closed on March 13 as part of the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This raised concerns about the impact on graduation ceremonies for students. The provincial government, however, gave the go-ahead for "alternative celebrations" to ensure the graduation season was not lost to the pandemic.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development released guidelines for graduation ceremonies for the anglophone and francophone school districts. These guidelines outlined rules for physical distancing and provided schools with suggested, but not mandatory, options for ceremonies. In-person ceremonies were allowed but with a group size limit of 50 people, and physical distancing and mask-wearing were recommended. The diploma was to be placed on a table for the student to pick up rather than being handed directly to them.

There was also an option for a drive-in vehicle ceremony, where families could view the awarding of diplomas from their cars in a large parking lot. Schools with smaller graduating classes could hold ceremonies closer to the traditional format as long as physical distancing was maintained. Each school was responsible for developing its own ceremony plan, which had to be submitted to their respective districts for approval.

The Education and Early Childhood Development Minister, Dominic Cardy, acknowledged that while the pandemic prevented students from participating in many traditions and activities, the graduation guidelines would help districts plan alternative celebrations. He encouraged schools to be creative in their planning and to view this as an opportunity to try new ways of celebrating this important milestone.

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