Fredericton — New Brunswick schools will see a dramatic change in their annual calendar as the Conservative government is moving the two-month summer break from July and August to January and February. The move comes as pressure has been placed on the school boards and government to make up lost time due to snow days in the province.
Minister of Education Dominic Cardy made the announcement earlier today in front of Leo Hayes High School, which was closed due to unsafe road conditions.
“It is clear that New Brunswick students have suffered from more lost school days than any other province. By moving the two-month break to winter we are ensuring that students will already be home during storm days and won’t miss as much class time.”
In many cases the school closures have been the result of unsafe roads rather than the weather itself. Carl Urquhart, minister of Public Safety, also spoke at the press conference.
“Our party ran on a platform of reduced spending and I’m pleased to say that we have spent roughly 10 per cent less on road maintenance in the province than the previous Liberal government. That was a real struggle for us because the Liberals had already made significant cuts in this area.
“By closing schools throughout the winter we estimate we can save another 20 per cent. We are incredibly proud of the work that we’re doing which is benefiting everyday New Brunswickers.”
Premier Higgs was not at the event but agreed to make a statement by phone.
“Kids these days aren’t built as rugged as when I grew up, so of course it makes sense not to risk their safety. Back in my day we would walk 20 miles to and from school carrying a jerry can of water and bundle of firewood for the class stove. It was a lot colder back then too because global warming hadn’t kicked in yet, let me tell you.”
Higgs quickly became defensive when asked to clarify his position on global warming. “Well I didn’t mean to say global warming — obviously that isn’t a thing — it’s just that the weather isn’t as cold as it was back in the day. That doesn’t mean it’s warming. I need to let you go, I have Arthur Irving on the other line.”
Not everybody is applauding the government’s move. George Daley, President of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association, believes that the government should be providing additional compensation to teachers.
“Winter school closures account for roughly four weeks of paid vacation for us. By moving the summer break to winter, we are expected to work far more than we already do. Other than having two weeks for Christmas, a week for March break, every stat and banker holiday, countless personal development days and a two-month vacation, we get virtually no time off!”
No students were found near the school for comment. In the coming weeks the Department of Education will be working on a plan to transition the break, which is expected to be implemented during the winter of 2020.
Any evidence to support this?
This is the stupiest idea yet.
So my 5 year old will be stuck in the house for 2 months rather than participating in activities with school. Summers should be for kids to enjoy like it has always been. We have all had snow days and we still managed to learn and finish school. But again it comes down to the dollar.
LOL it’s satire. Relax.
I’m reminded of Jeff Foxeorthy’s “Peanut”.
I think you mean Jeff Dunham.
Yes it does come down to the dollar…paying teachers/staff to sit at home just think kids home =someone home to help shovel
Clearly you are not a teacher-maybe we are sitting at home, but our work day is not 8-2:30. It goes well beyond that with Parent Teacher Meetings plus extra regular meetings, planning for students in our class that range from K-6-not just the grade we actually teach, Report Card Writing , paperwork for Doctors that we don’t get paid to fill out, and Extra Curricular Coaching after school. I never walk out of my school without a huge bag of things to correct, plan for the next unit or regular assessment. Trust me-it’s not a “day off to sit at home”. Teachers need to be treated with more respect as we prepare them for their Life Long Learning for whatever career they choose!!
Ya. That’s right. Your five year old will be at home. Why not try a novel concept called being a parent instead of whining because you can’t ship them off to a provincially run daycare.
Your an idiot!!!! School and daycare are the right of children and parents
*You’re*
You’re a legend Sean
Shawn little kid
This is actually ridiculous. No one will ever approve of this
I agree
Wtf
bad idea taking away their summer vacation
Not good for their mental health. They need the sunshine and out doors and summer activities to keep healthy mentally
Such a good point. If they have the winter break off all their gonna do is lack vitamin D and play on their ipads cause either the weather is too cold or the roads are too bad.
Not a good point. They need a swift kick in the ass and 12 months of school!
I don’t believe that this will actually happen. It’s not fair to the families of the students and the teachers that aren’t allowed to go on vacation during the summers and enjoy two months of summer relaxation.
Tough shit. Life’s not fair. Teachers are useless. Whine about being underpaid, overworked. Really? Get an honest job. Actually earn your pay for a change. Kids do nothing but hang around malls all summer. Vandalize properties. Little bastards should be in school 12 months of the year.
Seriously???? What a dickhead you are. Where in God’s creation did you come from
I came out of the tip of your Dad’s love fountain. Hi sis ?
The poor teacher that gets stuck teaching @$$holes like Shawn Leach deserve a storm day now and again!
Actually Cynthia, I am a professor at the University of New Brunswick. Thank you very much.
Do you work 12 months of the year??? Your chosen profession must be godly like to make such a bold outrageous statement! Your comment is very ignorant and uncalled for! Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt! Teacher’s are useless? Clearly you have no idea what teachers do for our kids or your are a very jealous of them. Teacher’s work harder than a lot of people that have an honest job like you put it! Lol As I’m writing this I’m thinking your comment is not even worth my time but at the same time can’t just let you write such nonsense!
Teacher’s work very hard and we should appreciate the work they do for our children!
In January and February everyone can to vacation in some hot places. Teachers still get 2 months off. What other profession gets 2 months off paid?
summers aren’t paid. You are misinformed
Not everyone can afford to take their 3 kids to Disney in the winter time after paying for Christmas, heat, larger power bills and vehicle repairs !!
Fabulous idea in concept, however reduce the Christmas break to one week, take away March break, have the 2 month Jan and Feb break ( which would amount to a 9+ week winter break and have a 2 week summer break,
Oh yeah fabulous concept! I’m sure kid’s mental health is going to be a lot better too! Lol, get your head straight if you honestly think this is a good idea. I think you have a couple of things to learn about life if you don’t think that a child should be able to enjoy its summer break with its friends and family and make memories like a normal child. My town had to deal with 2 kids taking their own lives last year and I think it’s more than enough…
Boo hoo. Who gives a fuck. God dam generation of pussies. Time you all man the fuck up
Ur my father
And don’t give kids half days
satire at its best!
To everyone above…..wow…just wow
HAHA. I know eh?
Hehehe
We were going to move there this will change my mind for sure I do not agree with this why not one month instead of both summer months?
FYI this is a joke site, you are welcome to our beautiful province! 🙂
Good. Stay where the fuck you are. We don’t need anymore blood suckers on the welfare roll here. There’s already enough deadbeats.
lol, awesome. Caught a lot with this one. Ha!
Even though the banner says this is the Maritimes’ biggest source for satire you folks still take this seriously?
This is not real people , it’s Satire , read the Bi-line at the top lol
It’s a little terrifying the amount of comments that believe this to be true.
LOL….satire at it’s best !
Sure hope they install central air conditioning. And shorter days for students to get the most out of the healthy outdoors
lol. If you believed this you should go back to school for being dumb.
OMG…..are there really this many stupid people around? Satire….foolishness…..pulling your leg…Jesus people get a life.
Hope you have air conditioning because the kids will bake in those classrooms. Not fair to the teachers, parents who make plans every year. I think someone needs to put their thinking caps on again. The idea sucks !!!
As a student. No. My peers and I have already heard news of this and are already planning on complete destruction of this plan. We will not stand by it
I heard that this is fake
I heard your a genius
About time when I was going to school, roads were not ploughed , only the strongest kids survived the ice storms, coming home in the dark of winter, and the running from the hungry coyotes . The smartest and genetically superior survived .
Instead of two months in the winter, why not start school in August and off January, at least that way there is still the month of July for everyone and one month less of winter storm. It would also give the kids a break in between the year of school.
I cannot believe anyone actually believes this article is true. What is wrong with people?? Can you not do 20 seconds of research before making such idiotic comments?
Satire: “Use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.”
Everybody knows that air quality is better in the winter months, so it makes sense that children are on vacation and outside for January and February, instead of the normal July and August. It’s too hot those 2 months to be outside anyway. As a teacher, I welcome it as well. Bravo! to this idea.
bravo? Mange la merde, your students must love you. If you think this is a good idea, you should go back to school and start from elementary. Also here’s a map to a hospital just for your kind( if you can even drive)
https://maps.google.ca/maps?vet=12ahUKEwjuxZHK9YfgAhWtdd8KHVUMCoUQ30owAHoECAgQRQ..i&hl=en-ca&client=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=ca&entry=s&sa=X&ftid=0x4ca4189b87102291:0xf0de5d578cfd1122&gmm=CgIgAQ%3D%3D
“Back in my day we would walk 20 miles to and from school carrying a jerry can of water and bundle of firewood for the class stove” Lmao…. troll.com
This is a joke right?
The comments here speak so much to the uneducated and ill informed people that live around here.
ok, I thought people running our Education systems were educated…nope…this is a perfect example of it…they put dollar signs before the kids….summer is for all kids to enjoy time outside doing activities…instead of moving summer vacation, why don’t they change the March break to a winter break….this would certainly make more sense…As you know, we cannot ask Mother Nature to drop the snow for that particular time …so some parents will complain again ….I would be more receptive in the change to March break to be earlier and name it “Winter Break”….
Are you for real? You make this comment…..you believe this satire and you are concerned about THEIR education?
Are these people denser than bags of hammers or what? Please learn how to use a dictionary…..
i say this is so wrong. children have alway enjoyed summer activities. Summer is so short in Canada why take the childrens summer time activities away with class time and homework. also the adults that plan summer vacations to take their children to visit family members that live far away. no one wants to travel far in winter not knowing what the weather is going to be. this change is just not right not fair to the kids at all !
This is a joke right? I guess I’ll be staying in Alberta to teach.
Sooo… about those kids who attend summer camp programs… because i dont think their programs will change to winter ones… will the kids still be allowed to go to summer camp? will the school excuse them from class for the week or are these kids going to start missing out on the summer camp experiences that they’ve been having most of their life? From curious & concerned camp director
Don’t worry Katie. You’ll still be able to send your kids off to summer camp because 1- you would rather not be a parent and engage them in family activities and 2- you’d rather go next door and gorphing the neighbors root.
In British Columbia, one school district adopted a school calendar where students start in September, and every three months, they have a month off, which means December/January to accomodate the Christmas holidays, April and August. Teachers and parents noticed better performances from the students because family vacations were planned ahead, scheduled teacher workshops were spaced evenly during the months off as not to affect the school days, and students were more alert and motivated since they had long breaks to unwind and recharge for the next three months ahead. Such a calendar would provide us with days to replace the ones we lose to winter weather conditions without disturbing the school year too much and providing staff and students with much needed time off throughout the year. Its can also be easily adapted to fit our needs.
OMG you guys! This is SATIRE! Don’t get your panties in a bunch. lmao!
I know! People think this is real!?
As I see it, kids today are soft and get everything they want and more, yes I know this because I have 3 children. Real life is working 12 months of the year with two days off a week. And two weeks vacation. As I tell my kids going to school is their job, homework is their job! This is what they need to do. I have two children that are home at 2:10 everyday, they dont even put in a full day at school as I see it. Kids miss to much school, they have to make up the time. People are upset because they take vacation in the summer and the teachers are upset because they are spoiled with all the time off they are used to. Again they are teachers their job is to teach children, to educate them! Their should not be a time line when they do that. And for that matter teachers are way to personal with their students, my children go to school for a education not to hear about their teachers broken marriages or how great their child in doing in high school. The system is gone to hell!
First of all most of the schools don’t have air conditioning so we would actually be putting the kids at risk by sending them to school in the middle of summer. Most school classes are way to hot for the kids just from April to June . Imagine being in a hot class threw a heat wave that usually last about a week. Im pretty sure the province is not going to fund the bill for air conditioners in all school! If they are that worried about kids missing class time then cut the Christmas break from 2 weeks to 1 week, and eliminate march break since the kids already have a week off from the storm days anyways. If the government would stop cutting the budget for the road care then maybe the kids could still get to school after a storm instead of having a day off because of road conditions. Let the kids have their summer’s they are stuck inside most of the winter and i know my kids love being outside all day in the summer.
Hey stupid. If your kids are as bright as you, they should stay in school all summer.
I agree with the change. They miss more tone than they go so just cancel winter so no closures and make they go in summer. As far as vacations stuck it up most of us dont get that
Holy fucking redneck, I guess dont raise your kids in New Brunswick! How can people in the educational system be so incredibly stupid? So first of all they care about money more than the children, secondly teachers think they need more time off? What is wrong with New Brunswick?
You fucking dingbats this is a satire website. It’s for jokes.
????
I can see how people might think this is real but it’s not! Ha ha ha. People are fired up!
THIS IS INSANE.
I Donr Think So A Snow Day Is A Snow Day ….And I Will Keep My Kiddos Home In The Summer Thank you Very Much …I Enjoy My lovebugs And Do Summer Things Together So Again I DONT THINK SO …….
I cannot believe that someone took the time to read this article and others responded and WHY would people share something like this. Watch your local news broadcast and they will tell you as they are pretty on when reporting this kind of thing. Facebook articles are not supported by the real facts.
They should do it like they do in Europe. 5 weeks Summer 1 week Fall 2 weeks Christmas and Winter 3weeks and Spring 1 week. So is everybody Coverd.
Ur gai
So that mean every school that will be having schools all summer will have to be equipped with air conditioning units all these schools were made for kids to be in school during the winter and home in the summer where they can cool down freely when ever they want to all school are built with heaters i know my school’s didn’t have air conditioning when the warm weather came around sooooo there goes all that “SAVED MONEY” that they think they are saving also another factor to consider what about dress code schools are set to meet these standards of kids wearing heavier clothing
When I was a kid and it was summer break I’d wake up and put my swimming suit on
Now these kids can’t do that
This will make the newer generations become very depressing and anti social
Kids deserve to run around and play out side all summer long
How are they supposed to do that if it’s fricken -35 out. They can’t they will be sitting at home probably very bored and probably just playing video games
I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THIS MOVEMENT
This is a fake news page just putting it out there.
You dumb fucks this is a fake news website
Sub to pewds