Impact of teacher cuts will be felt in September, union says

When students return to schools across New Brunswick next month they will notice larger class sizes and they will get less individual attention, according to president of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association.

"The bottom line is that when you have an education system that's already stressed and with high needs and you take out 249 teachers front line teachers at that, who do an excellent job, then you're going to feel the impact of it," said Guy Arseneault on Wednesday.

The provincial government announced the reduction in teachers in the March budget.

Education Minister Serge Rousselle said at the time that he was confident schools could absorb the cuts. 

Rousselle declined to comment on Arseneault's comments.

The NBTA president said that teachers have worked hard to increase literacy numbers and losing so many positions is a step in the wrong direction.

The union official also said new teachers, who are hoping to get their first job, may be out of luck.

"It certainly has impacted our ... temporary teachers, who have a contract year by year. Many of them have not been recalled, they are our youngest teachers in the system, quite often full of energy and ready to go," he said.

"Those teachers usually get a recall notice sometime in late August early September, those recall notices are very few and far between."

Arseneault said many teachers find the cuts frustrating because they are searching for the tools to do their jobs properly.

"And right there now, with the removal of 249 teachers ... that's going to be difficult," he said.