A week after Nova Scotia students got back to hitting the books, young people in the two other Maritime provinces returned to the classrooms. The majority of students in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island returned to school Tuesday, with all students expected to be back in class Wednesday. Some schools, like most New Brunswick high schools, use the first day to introduce Grade 9 students to their new institution before welcoming all students to help with the transition. In New Brunswick, the new school year brings lots of changes for students. Among them is a new education plan, a school lunch program and a cellphone ban for all students. Ahead of the new school year, New Brunswick’s Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson urged parents and guardians to make attendance a priority this fall after a chronic absenteeism rate of 28.5 per cent from kindergarten to Grade 12. “This September, every child in New Brunswick starts the school year fed, supported and ready to learn,” Johnson said. “Ensuring children show up to school every day helps them cultivate good habits and maintain a sense of structure and routine, setting them up for success in the classroom and beyond.” The province says keys to improve attendance include: For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
