Parents frustrated by lack of answers on education during PC leadership forum
CBC
About 40 parents, educators and union leaders say they’re frustrated by the lack of answers from the two candidates who want to be P.E.I.’s next premier on how they plan to address what they describe as a crisis in the education system
The group marched to the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown Tuesday night. That’s where the third and final Progressive Conservative leadership forum was being held between Rob Lantz and Mark Ledwell.
The group stood quietly outside Memorial Hall, where the debate was taking place, holding signs that read “Students deserve support, not spin,” "This isn’t politics, this is our children’s future,” and “Respect educators with resources, not slogans.”
The group went in and listened to the debate once it began.
Jen Poirier, a parent from Kensington, said she left frustrated.
She said resources are not reaching the classroom, student-to-teacher ratios are too high, there is a shortage of resources for teachers and assessment wait times are way too long.
“We really didn’t hear a lot, nothing really of substance on how they're going to help Island students K-12 with their education,” said Poirier.
“I mean the system is in crisis. Students are falling through the cracks, and we need to be worried about our future.”
More than 250 people, including the 40 or so protesters, packed into the PC Party forum Tuesday night.
Lantz and Ledwell fielded more than 20 questions from the moderator. But only two dealt with education.
There was a question on post-secondary education and a second question on the George Coles Bursary.
It should be noted the party doesn’t allow questions from the people in the room. The questions were prepared in advance and vetted by party organizers.
Both Lantz and Ledwell said they’d continue to support the George Coles Bursary, a non-repayable bursary for Island students to help with expenses like tuition, books and living costs.
Those students must attend one of the Island's publicly funded post-secondary institutions: UPEI, Holland College or Collège de l'Île.
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