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

A student is pictured writing a test. (fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus)

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.”

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