Planned education reforms appear to have stirred a hornet\u2019s nest, if a public consultation meeting in downtown Moncton is any indication.<\/p>\n
On Thursday night, the Department of Education held a public meeting at the Delta Beaus\u00e9jour Hotel over the planned changes to French-language education for anglophone students in New Brunswick.<\/p>\n
Around 6:30 p.m., when the session was slated to begin, there were still dozens of people waiting in a line that extended from the conference room down the staircase to the lobby. When the conference room reached capacity, workers removed wall panels to add extra space for more tables and chairs. More than 300 people reportedly attended.<\/p>\n
Things got rowdy when the session finally got started, about 45 minutes later than planned, as the overflow crowd heckled Minister of Education Bill Hogan and deputy minister John McLaughlin.<\/p>\n
Hogan even threatened to shut down the event, but attendees appeared to call his bluff as they began making speeches at mics positioned in the back of the room.<\/p>\n
It was a change of plans for organizers. The consultation was supposed to be a World Caf\u00e9, a method that involves small groups discussing an issue, before delegates present the main points to the larger crowd.<\/p>\n
But participants angry about the planned changes wouldn\u2019t cooperate with a frustrated Minister of Education.<\/p>\n