Every year about 500 people enroll as students with South East Adult Education, in one of 22 classrooms throughout south east New Brunswick, including a full-time classroom based at the Sackville Curling Club.
Retired Mount Allison professor John Read has been president of the organization for about 18 years, and he stopped by CHMA studios to talk a bit about what the group does and why it matters:
There’s a “horrible statistic” that John Read says he doesn’t even like to mention, that about half the adult population of New Brunswick could do with some improvement in their literacy and numeracy skills. “This is becoming more and more important as there now are fewer jobs where you really don’t specifically need these skills,” says Read.
Students with South East Adult Education range from those looking to get their high school equivalency (which in Canada recently changed from the GED to the CAEC, Canadian Adult Education Credential), to those hoping to upgrade or refresh their skills in reading, writing, math or computers.
“Any student can come in any time, and they can come for five hours a week or 30 hours a week, just depending on their circumstances,” says Read. “My favourite word really is flexibility. So just come when you’re ready… and try and progress at your rate.”
The program needs to be flexible, because adult lives are complicated. Some students are single parents, or working shift work. “We just try to accommodate students as far as we can,” says Read.
For 28 years, Cynthia Adams taught the weekday classes in the Sackville classroom. Now Wendy Meldrum has taken on the job. About 18 students either attend in person or online, on varying schedules.
Read says about 90 participants graduate with their GED (and now CAEC, pronounced ‘cake’) every year.
South East Adult Education is funded through Working NB, which means the focus is on CAEC credentials and workplace skills. That has its limitations, says Read. “We used to offer classes for seniors in Sackville,” he says, “and we were told no, because they’re not going to go into the workforce.”
But despite funding limitations, Read says South East Adult Education makes room for all ages, levels, and goals. “A lot of people who are not going to the workforce need improving their literacy,” says Read. “We would really like students to come in just to improve.”
Interested adults can fill in an online form, call 506-857-9912 to find out more, or drop by the Sackville classroom in the Sackville Curling Club on Lansdowne. The program is free, and open to anyone over 18 who has not completed high school, including those on EI. New students are admitted throughout the year.
