N.B. auditor general says students fall short on literacy assessments

New Brunswick’s auditor general says students are failing to hit reading and writing targets.

A new report from the New Brunswick auditor general highlights ongoing gaps in student literacy in the province.

It found kids are increasingly struggling to meet provincial targets on learning to read and write.

The audit report examined school literacy assessments, programs and supports from kindergarten to Grade 12 in francophone and anglophone sectors.

“Literacy is foundational to student success, yet our work found large and persistent gaps between literacy and provincial targets,” says auditor general Paul Martin in a government news release.

The report says no provincial literacy targets were met in any year of the audit period, which spanned from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025.

It also points to weaknesses in how the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development measures, monitors and responds to literacy results.

Martin’s report suggests while the department collects literacy data, inconsistent monitoring and followup limit its ability to make timely adjustments to help with student outcomes.

“When these gaps are not consistently monitored or acted upon, students may not receive the support they need,” says Martin.

As such, the report notes over half of anglophone students falling below the required literacy level aren’t receiving specialized learning plan interventions.

According to the audit, internal accountability reports state “without a good foundation in literacy, all of our other efforts will be compromised.”

On Monday, the New Brunswick government announced its 12-year education plan for both the province’s anglophone and francophone sectors.

The government says its education plan prioritizes the creation of “strong foundational skills in literacy and numeracy.”

Martin says he hopes his report will help to influence how the government’s plan proceeds.

“One of the first things we did notice in that strategic plan was that they did reduce the target level of achievement… that was on the surface right away,” said Martin, to reporters. “I don’t know if they’ve determined that to be appropriate from other information, other jurisdictions.

“We need some time to go through that and assess it and then determine if there’s a need for a follow-up and bring you more information.”

Lorelei Burgess, centre director of Oxford Learning in Bedford, N.S., said literacy rates are a consistent problem across Canada.

“There are some significant gaps that happened during COVID,” Burgess told CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Battis. “It’s a huge factor in the literacy rates we see today.

“I think it could be argued kids are reading more, but I think the issue is what they’re reading. It’s short texts. They’re not seeing examples of really good literature.”

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Sean Mott and Nick Moore

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.