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336 – New Brunswick’s Inclusive Education Policy of 2013, Canada
Responsible body: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Country of implementation: Canada (New Brunswick)
Beneficiaries targeted: All children and youth, from kindergarten to high school
SUMMARY
The New Brunswick Policy No. 322 on Inclusive Education was introduced after a comprehensive review of inclusive
education and is effective since September 17, 2013. To ensure that all provincial public schools are inclusive, the policy
defines the nature of an inclusive education system that supports students in common learning environments, and sets
clear and easy-to-follow requirements for each educational authority (Department of Education, Superintendent of
school district, school principals, etc.), including procedures for the development of Personalized Learning Plans,
inclusive graduation, as well as clear and strict guidelines when a variation of the common learning environment may be
done.
CONTEXT/P ROBLEMS TARGETED (WITH ADDITIONS FROM THE ZERO P ROJECT T EAM)
Twenty-seven years after Bill 85 (June 1986) provided a legislative framework for inclusive education, the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development signed the first provincial policy on the topic on September 17, 2013.
Disability organizations were consulted during the development of the policy, including New Brunswick’S Association for
Community Living, and they provided input into how the policy should address issues specific to the inclusion of people
with disabilities in education. Since the policy is not a disability-specific policy but rather a broader policy on inclusion in
education, aligning with the thinking that inclusion is about all students not just a specific sub-set of students, its key
elements and requirements had to describe an inclusive education system while ensuring that the specific needs of
students with a disability are addressed.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
To ensure that all of New Brunswick public schools are inclusive and applying to all schools and school districts within
the public education system.
KEY F EATURES (W ITH ADDITIONS FROM THE ZERO P ROJECT TEAM)
The New Brunswick Inclusive Education Policy No. 322 of 2013 is to be classified as provincial legally-binding
regulatory-distributive policy that sets out the requirements of an inclusive education system for all public schools in
the province, overseen by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development:
1. In its Section 3, it defines key terms such as “accommodation”, "inclusive education", “Universal Design for
Learning” and "personalized learning plan"
2. In its Section 5, it sets out the goals and principles of inclusive public education that is critical to build a society
that is inclusive of all people.