A former Canadian Adult Education Credential teacher says provincial cuts to community adult learning programs will hit vulnerable adult learners the hardest.
Carla McAffee, whose contract with the Saint John Kings Adult Learning Centre ended two weeks ago, said students with learning disabilities and other challenges are losing access to specialized support.
“We provided numerous wraparound supports for our students,” McAffee said. “For example, I would refer them for a psychological assessment. It used to be that we could write up some paperwork and they would go off and get that done on the government’s dime, but that’s no longer in existence.”
McAffee spent 18 years teaching adult learners in the program’s John Howard Society of New Brunswick Fundy Region classroom and helped more than 300 students get their high school equivalency diplomas. She said she was notified about a month ago that her contract would not be renewed because of a 25 per cent reduction in the programs’ funding.
Community Adult Learning Programs (CALPs) are community-based centres that provide free education and essential skills training for adults aged 18 and older. The programs are the only resource available to New Brunswickers seeking assistance preparing for the Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) exam, formerly known as the GED.
The centres also provide foundational training in reading, writing and math, language courses and career development resources.
McAffee added that many teachers at the programs develop a plethora of skills due to the type of students who attend the centres, including counselling and emotional support skills that extend beyond traditional classroom teaching
However, with the funding reduction, McAffee said the programs are being forced to scale down their services.
She explained many students coming to the programs face learning disabilities, mental health challenges or struggle with past addiction, with many of them also having a history of struggling in the traditional school system most of their lives, due to their conditions, but also because schools often lacked the resources to provide individualized support.
“The students couldn’t keep up, and there was no alternative for them, so they either went to crime, or to the streets, or what have you,” she added.
McAffee said CALPs help fill gaps left by the public education system.
With the cuts to the programs, McAffee is not only worried about the future of her most recent students but also fears that students who leave the public system will now have fewer options to complete their education.
Province cuts program’s budget, citing low enrollment
In an email statement, Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour spokesperson Rebecca Howland said the funding reductions were announced during the province’s main budget estimates this spring and were driven by declining enrolment.
According to Howland, nearly 2,000 New Brunswickers were enrolled in CALP programs at their peak in 2019. By 2026, enrolment had dropped to 965 participants.
Howland added that CALPs received a total of $5.7 million in provincial funding before the cuts.
There are 10 CALPs in New Brunswick, serving communities including Saint John, Sussex, St. George, Fredericton, Moncton, Miramichi, Bathurst, Campbellton, Edmundston and Grand Falls.
McAffee said she was blindsided by the announcement of the cuts.
She explained when she was notified that her contract wouldn’t be renewed, she was only given three weeks to pack up her classroom and leave before completing a summer preparation course with her students.
Another position at the Saint John Kings Adult Learning Centre has also been cut, while remaining teachers will see their hours reduced from full-time to part-time, she added.
With her position being cut, the John Howard Society classroom was also closed, and she said students will be moved to the centre’s Place 400 classroom, which McAffee believes will bring a different set of challenges for her students as they will have to commute to the north end from uptown Saint John.
“How are people going to get there? The people we have can’t afford the bus,” she said.
Beyond staffing cuts, McAffee said the centre has ended graduation ceremonies, lost funding that helped students pursue post-secondary education, and delayed fall CAEC preparation courses from September until October.
McAffee said she worries students from her summer course who plan to continue their studies in the fall will struggle to retain material during the extended break.
“The date is just too far away, and our students, being as vulnerable as they are and as disadvantage they are, and the type of learners they are, they are really going to struggle,” she said.
Department says supports remain available
Despite the concerns about the cuts, Howland said there have been no impacts to learners who want to access CAEC preparation and said they can still contact CALP for support.
“The department is always looking to find efficiencies and options to reduce the costs of offering these services, including looking at what is available in other jurisdictions,” Howland said.
She added that WorkingNB offices continue to help residents access training and employment supports through personalized learning plans.
However, McAffee said staff and students have been left in limbo and uncertain about the programs’ future. She suspects other centres across the province are facing similar challenges as they adjust to the reduced funding.
Acadia Broadcasting reached out to the Saint John Kings Adult Learning Centre and several other CALP programs, but most did not respond.
Central Valley Adult Learning Association executive director Laura Burris declined to comment on the matter, explaining in an email statement that speaking with the media would infringe on their grant contract with the province.
“As much as we may have information to share about the current situation, as well as our own thoughts and concerns, our CGA requires us to receive PETL approval before speaking with the media,” she said.
“Unfortunately, given the circumstances, we really can’t risk rocking the boat right now.”
McAffee said she is not surprised the programs are not willing to speak about the issue, as she said they are still waiting to receive funding from the province.
While she is not employed by the Saint John Kings centre anymore, McAffee said she will continue to advocate for her students.
“I have advocated for my students the last 18 years, and I would advocate again,” she said.
