Premier lauds new education plan; critics question funding

The wording may be different in New Brunswick's new post-secondary education plan but the goal of graduating students who are trained to meet the needs of the marketplace remains the same, says Premier Shawn Graham.

"Our government recognized that there was concern around the language of a polytechnic institute. But the reality of today is that the workforce needs are changing," Graham said.

The provincial government released its new post-secondary education plan on Thursday.

In the document, the government drops its previously controversial idea of merging some of the province's university and college campuses to form polytechnic institutions. It instead suggests "formal partnerships" between the universities and colleges to create Institutes of Applies Learning and Training.

The institutes are merely a different name for polytechnics, said Nora Kelly, deputy minister of post-secondary education, but they will allow the universities and colleges to maintain their "brand identities."

Courses at the institutes will be tailored to respond to the hiring needs of employers. Some university courses will be taught at community colleges and students will be able to move between the new institutes.

Administrators and students are saying the plan doesn't inject enough new money for students into the system.

John McLaughlin, president of the University of New Brunswick, the province's largest post-secondary institution, said the $90 million in funding provided for the plan may not be enough.

"It's important to get the blueprint right, and I think we're on our way to doing that but it's also going to have to be effectively funded," McLaughlin said. "We haven't got the funding model yet that's going to take us there."

The announcement also includes $17 million over five years for what's being labelled as student focused initiatives, but no specifics have been released on how the money will be spent. Instead, the government reannounced several student-aid initiatives it unveiled months ago, such as a one-year tuition freeze and a $2,000 tuition benefit.

"What we see is a maintaining of the status quo for the next year ... and essentially no long-term plan for reform for student financial aid," said Duncan Gallant, president of the New Brunswick Student Alliance.

He said it's useless to offer more post-secondary programs if students can't afford them.

"We need to see a long-term commitment for student financial aid," Gallant said.