PC Leader Blaine Higgs speaks on the Saint John waterfront during a campaign stop. (photo by Tamara Steele)
A re-elected Progressive Conservative government would raise salaries of early childhood educators.
Leader Blaine Higgs stopped in Oromocto to announce the intention to bring the hourly wage from $16 to $19 by 2023.
“Early childhood educators are essential, and under our re-elected government, we will continue to find ways to support early childhood educators and to strengthen this sector of our education system and our economy,” he said.
Higgs said the Progressive Conservatives would make good on their promise to make food programs available in every school by 2021-22.
“The research has been clear. Kids can’t learn if they’re hungry. Sadly, many of our kids who rely on breakfast programs went without during the early phases of COVID,” he said.
Higgs said beforehand, New Brunswick was the only province without a school food program.
An educational review of Indigenous and Black history was promised as part of modernizing curriculum and delivery.with accurate and up to date materials.
“Our challenge is to design an education system that lets them build their critical thinking skills through more engaging experiential learning instead of one-way information sharing. It’s about modernizing the way we connect and inspire, while at the same time, teaching,” he said.
Higgs said part of these changes would include new civics classes to help students learn how to participate in their democracy and contribute to their communities.
