P.E.I. parents urged to register kids early for kindergarten so schools can staff properly

The start of kindergarten can be a time of excitement or anxiety for parents, guardians and children — and also for Prince Edward Island's education officials as they try to staff schools appropriately.

Shawn Brinson, director of human resources with the P.E.I. Public Schools Branch, said kindergarten registration opened in December, and there's been a good response so far.

Still, he said, some registrations do happen later into the year — and that can sometimes lead to administrative challenges at schools.

The province's English and French school boards both cap kindergarten class sizes at around 18 students, so finding out about new enrolments at the last minute can make planning tricky.

“We continue to push throughout the spring to ensure we have as much of the population registered for the following September's school year,” Brinson said. 

“From a staffing perspective, we want to make sure we have enough teachers, resource, supports available for that fall to ensure our class sizes are appropriate and those resources are available to support the kids.”

Late registrations can be a bigger issue when it comes to French-language schools in the province because there's currently a shortage of French teachers.

Kathleen Couture, executive director of the Association of French-Language Early Childhood Centres of P.E.I., said a number of resources are available to help parents ensure their soon-to-be kindergarten student is ready.

Like Brinson, she also encourages parents and guardians to register kids as early as possible so school staff can prepare. 

“Don't procrastinate anymore. Get your forms in, get your child registered,” she said. “It's important for ... the francophone school board and the anglophone school board to know how many children are coming in September.”

Brinson said parents can find information on the PSB's website that outlines the registration process, along with key dates and resources to help them prepare their soon-to-be kindergarten student.

“We want to make sure parents and kids are able to understand going into the new environment: What is my school going to look like? What does my classroom look like?” he said.

“Some children are better prepared for that environment. And so we want to work through with the parent to talk about how well their child is transitioning and ensuring that, again, they're getting the information to help support their child.”