New Brunswick — Ten years ago, New Brunswick’s then-premier Brian Gallant, along with former education minister Brian Kenny, set a plan in place to radically improve the provincial education system and bump up test scores.
The plan, meant to transform New Brunswick’s education system into one of the best in Canada by September 2026, has been a total failure. As just one example, high school test scores dropped to an abysmal 10th place in the country, compared to the 7th place ranking in 2016.
A Manatee reporter interviewed Gallant in his home this morning to get his take on the plan and its unfortunate outcome.
“Both of us are named ‘Brian’ — I thought that was pretty cool back in 2016!” said Gallant, unprompted. “We had that going for us, and other stuff, too, like we both thought it would be a great idea if the teachers tried to improve their students’ test scores. And if students tried harder, of course.”
We asked Gallant how he envisioned the plan coming to fruition.
“I explicitly told teachers do to a better job at teaching, and I also instructed students to try harder and to do their best to get higher scores on tests. The fact that they didn’t make it happen is hardly my fault.”
At that point, the former premier began filibustering about COVID interrupting learning, as well as AI turning everyone’s brains to mush. Our reporter left the room to field a call from a teacher in Tracadie, who remembered the announcement of the plan.
“I’m a Grade 11 math teacher, and in 2016, the government announced this plan, but we were like, ‘What plan?'” said Lisette Crawford. “The plan had no substance. And no funding. And certainly no additional resources. There were zero steps to follow.
“So, we carried on with teaching the way we always had. And we never heard a peep about that supposed plan again, until now.”
Gallant, though, seemed taken aback when confronted with the failure of his government to enact serious change in the education system.
“It’s embarrassing,” he said. “Not for me, but for the teachers. I mean, do your jobs, people.”
At press time, Gallant revealed that there had been a Part Two of the plan, but the current government scrapped it.
“Part Two, or Plan B — B for Brian — was to tell parents to be better. Read a parenting book, and figure out why your kids’ test scores are so low. Someone needs to take accountability.”