Post-Secondary Education Divisions
The Post-Secondary Education branch is composed of three divisions: Post-Secondary Affairs, NB Tele Education, and Learner Financial Assistance and Literacy. The Learner Financial Assistance and Literacy division oversees Literacy, the Private Occupational Training Act and Student Financial Services.

Administration and Finance Divisions
The Administration and Finance branch has five divisions: Finance and Services, Educational Facilities, Human Resources, Pupil Transportation, and Information Systems. A director is appointed to manage each division of the Administration and Finance branch. The Administration and Finance branch coordinates directly with district parent advisory council representatives on the Anglophone and Francophone provincial school boards.

District Administration

The administrative structure of the public education system in New Brunswick includes the Minister of Education and the Administration and Finance branch of the New Brunswick Department of Education. It also includes the two provincial school boards, district parent advisory councils, and school parent advisory committees. Parent advisory councils and committees are mandatory in New Brunswick.

In 1996, New Brunswick adopted a new education system whereby regional school boards were abolished and replaced by two province wide School Boards (1 Anglophone and 1 Francophone) and District Parent Advisory Councils. At the school level, parents are elected to provide input and direction through a school parent advisory committee. The school parent advisory committee advises its principal only on local education issues and appoints one or two parents to represent their school on their district parent advisory council. There are eighteen of these councils in New Brunswick.

The two provincial School Boards in New Brunswick are comprised of representatives elected from each of the District Parent Advisory Councils; twelve to twenty-four members on the Anglophone Board and six to twelve members on the Francophone Board. The school boards are decision-making bodies that approve and direct the activities of the district administration.

ADULT EDUCATION AND NEW LEARNING

Adult Education is an essential component of the concept of New Learning. Provincial governments have the responsibility to meet the needs of adult learners and the three Maritime Departments of Education offer a variety of programs for adults wishing to upgrade their knowledge and skills. It is beyond the scope of the New Learning Guide to present information on all of these programs. Rather, the Guide outlines some important initiatives taken in adult education in each of the three Maritime provinces.