Launch of immigration projections for K-12 student enrolments in New Brunswick

by Arianne Melara
March 10, 2021

Fredericton, NB – The New Brunswick Multicultural Council (NBMC) is announcing the launch of a report, prepared in partnership with Jupia Consultants, to forecast the increase in the K-12 student population from the expected significant boost in the immigration population. Estimating the Impact of Future Immigration in New Brunswick on K-12 Student Enrolment draws scenarios based on provincial immigration targets and its potential impacts to the provision of public education around the province.

“The data projections will be used to better understand how communities, and most importantly, schools, throughout the province could be impacted by an increase of immigrant learners from diverse ethno-cultural and linguistic backgrounds,” says Moncef Lakouas, President of NBMC. “This is important to develop strategies that address the unique challenges and opportunities these changes present to the province’s Education Systems.”

The projection prior to COVID19 concluded that the total immigrant and international student population could more than double by 2024-2025 (from 6,735 to 13,841) and nearly triple by 2029-2030 (from 6,735 to 18,841).

“Although these numbers were created before the COVID-19 pandemic began, they are still relevant,” says Arianne Melara, NBMC’s Manager of Youth Initiatives. “They provide key insights to conversations about preparing New Brunswick schools to adapt to the growing trends in immigration to the region, which have not slowed down despite the pandemic, and this becomes ever more important as we revisit the province’s population growth strategy in coming years.”

This report forms a part of NBMC’s larger strategy and recommendations on building paths towards the full inclusion of culturally and linguistically diverse youth in the province, forthcoming in early spring 2021.

This week, NBMC continues with its New Conversation Tour series engaging 15 communities across the province to spark new ideas and solutions in order to welcome more people to the region. Economists David Campbell and Richard Saillant will be referring to the data as an additional argument for region-wide population growth plans and engagements on newcomer integration.

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