N.B. student assessment results continue to decline in reading, math, science

New Brunswick student skills are on a steep decline, according to the latest assessments by PISA, the Program for International Student Assessment.

PISA has been looking at the academic progress of 15-year-old students in dozens of countries.

Its assessments present real-life challenges or complex scenarios that require students to use their skills in reading, math or science.

Based on its 2022 results, New Brunswick ranked in the bottom three in all subjects, said lead analyst Lucia Tramonte, a University of New Brunswick professor and co-director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy.

New Brunswick student performance was about a year and a half behind that of their peers in Canada and other OECD countries, Tramonte said.

Another worrisome result was the percentages of students who didn't achieve the minimum proficiency standard for sustainable development.

In math, that portion was 30 per cent, in reading 27 per cent, and in science 22 per cent.

"All students should be able to read, write, function with reading, math and science at a level that is sufficient for the challenges of global society," said Tramonte.

"The pocket of vulnerable students that are really struggling … is quite large," she said.

She hopes the province will "dig into the data and start asking some uncomfortable questions … like what's going on?"

The New Brunswick Teachers Association has a few ideas about that.

"Last month, teachers province wide spoke up in record numbers to call attention to the current realities in their classrooms," said president Peter Lagacy. 

"They shared the countless complexities that undermine their attempts to support students and the critical shortage of certified teachers who are available to fill vacancies in the system, both current and future," he said. 

Lagacy said the PISA results speak to an "urgent need" for direct investments at the classroom level, "so all children and youth can learn, have the positive educational experience they deserve, and ultimately build a better future for New Brunswickers."