Greens press for smaller class sizes
Education minister points to hiring of additional teachers, support staff
Green MLA Karla Bernard pressed the province’s education minister for action to reduce class sizes in P.E.I. schools Tuesday.
During question period, Bernard asked why Brad Trivers did not impose a cap on school class sizes prior to reopening schools in early September. Bernard said she has heard from teachers who are facing a more stressful year.
"Why did you not take this unprecedented opportunity to implement lower class sizes, which would have had such a positive impact on our children?" Bernard asked Trivers.
In the lead-up to reopening schools, other provinces such as New Brunswick did impose restrictions on class sizes. P.E.I. opted for a cohort model in hopes of minimizing contact between students.
"Our response to COVID and getting kids back to school has been one of the best in Canada," Trivers replied.
"We're the only jurisdiction that looked at the gaps in curriculum and addressed them and made sure they were closed. Mr. Speaker, we did that always with a lens on mental health and mental wellness."
Trivers also pointed to the commitment to hire 49 additional full-time equivalent teachers prior to the start of the school year, as part of a total of 160 staff added to the school system in August.
In an interview with The Guardian, Trivers said he has been working to reduce class sizes since before the COVID19 pandemic. He also said the Chief Public Health Office had communicated a desire to see class sizes as small as possible prior to September.
"We've increased the number of teachers in the last two budgets in order to keep class sizes down," Trivers said.
"We looked at the spaces we had and the resources available. We worked with the education authorities."
Trivers said class sizes were set in September by individual schools in their operational plans, which were approved by the Chief Public Health Office.
The 160 new full-time equivalent staff were initially hired for a four-month contract. This contract will expire by the end of December.
Trivers said the department plans to keep the additional staff beyond December until at least the end of the school year, but said the contracts have not yet been renewed.
"As long as we need those extra resources because of COVID, we're going to support the education system and the education authorities to make sure those resources are there," Trivers said.
Trivers acknowledged that teachers are experiencing some stresses but disputed that teachers were overworked.
"Workloads themselves are not an issue. They're going forward and they're dealing with curriculum and teaching in a way that is similar," Trivers said.
"What I am hearing is the stress comes because it's a change in the way things are done. It's a constant highenergy state that teachers are in because they're vigilant."
Bernard said she has been hearing stories from teachers dealing with more “disruptions” than pre-pandemic times. She raised an example of a Grade 1 class where reading levels were not at a kindergarten level. She has heard of cases where one child is sent home sick, and their entire classroom is then evacuated.
“They're seeing class sizes as even more of an issue now," Bernard said of educational staff.
Bernard said class sizes have been a long-standing issue, one that was not significantly addressed by Trivers prior to the reopening of schools.
"There was a golden platter handed to him, where he had an opportunity to put that priority into action and he did not,” Bernard said.