There is continued controversy over Bill 35, that was introduced by Education Minister Dominic Cardy.
The Bill would give Resource Teachers with a Masters Degree the ability to conduct and analyze psychoeducational testing.
Executive Director of the New Brunswick College of Psychologists Mandy McLean is concerned about the potential for misdiagnosis, which could hurt children in the long run, ” There is definitely the risk of not having the proper best diagnosis or the professional learning plan, to move forward. So we are worried kids won’t be given what they need at a time that they do need it the most.”So many other organizations have spoken out to say that this is not going to help the situation. This has so many experts are speaking so loudly, and there should be a pause to just say, perhaps this isn’t the best solution, and they should consider what else they do.”
Education Minister Dominic Cardy says this will help address the lack of Psychologists in the school system, and will give students who need it access to assessments.
Liberal Education Critic Benoît Bourque says for the most part, his party can agree with this 50 page document, “The bill in general is pretty good, but there are issues, especially involving the Psychologists. If there are amendments made to the bill regarding the Psychologists and Resource teachers, then I think the Opposition could be much more agreeable to the Bill.”
Bourque says this is not the solution to a shortage of school Psychologists.
He says, “The problem is, Psychologists are the least paid in the Maritime provinces. If they go to Nova Scotia or PEI, they make a whole lot more than they do in the school system here in new Brunswick.”
Bourque says, if school Psychologists were paid more, it would mean easier recruitment. He feels this will not save any money and it is going to end up costing the department, “You want to make sure that the system is better served and the students get what they need to do better in school.”
“Psychologists share the government’s concerns about addressing the growing needs in the educational system of students struggling with mental health issues. The priority should be getting children the help they need in terms of counselling and therapy. This bill does not do that. We believe the bill makes things worse for children not better. We need to look at who we are trying help here,” McLean says.
She adds, many resource teachers she has spoken to, are not comfortable interpreting these tests, and she doesn’t believe there was any consultation before Bill 35 was created.
“The mental health of students in our schools is a growing problem and needs to be addressed urgently,” McLean added. “We do applaud the minister for taking this on, but Bill 35 is not the right approach. It could have disastrous consequences for individual students and their families down the road,” McLean says.
Debate on the second reading of Bill35 began in the New Brunswick Legislature Tuesday, but was adjourned.
