As uncertainty continues around the future of French Immersion education, Liberal Leader Susan Holt is urging the Higgs government not to move forward with their plan to abolish French Immersion.

“Teachers, school staff and educational experts are speaking up, calling for stability. Now is not the time to impose a rushed one-size-fits-no-one approach to teaching French as a second language” says Liberal Leader Susan Holt. “For the sake of New Brunswick children and educators, please listen to what people are saying. Thousands of New Brunswickers have passionately expressed precisely where the government should channel their efforts and focus: leave French Immersion in place and bring in the resources they’re calling for.”

While Premier Higgs has only recently suggested the proposed model isn’t a sure thing, many remain skeptical as the registration for grade 1 French Immersion for the 2023-24 school year has remained closed.

“If they’re hearing just a fraction of what we’re hearing, Cabinet should know not to move forward with eliminating French Immersion.” says Susan Holt. “The Liberal Opposition has a motion ready to table at the earliest opportunity urging government to leave French Immersion in place and table a plan to properly resource the education system.

New Brunswick’s classrooms are in desperate need of stability and a wider variety of resources that support overall learning. We need enough certified educators with the specialized training required to support all kinds of learners, along with mental health resources, behavioural specialists, resource teachers, speech language pathologists, social workers, educational assistants, and more.

“We need to be working toward reducing classroom size to help eliminate the effects of streaming, particularly in the core program, and allow the new literacy approach ‘The Science of Reading’, to be fully implemented across the system. This is the approach our Liberal team will take to ensure a stable and high-performing education system for the future” says Liberal Leader Susan Holt. “I encourage Premier Higgs and his cabinet to listen to the educators and experts, respect the data and evidence presented, and heed their advice in the future governance of our education system.”