Small school/large school disparities remain, says teachers' union

Without more resources P.E.I.'s school system will not be able to achieve the "Better learning for all" goal set out in the just completed schools review process, says the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation.

That review started in September and ended this week. The government decided no schools would close, but there will be extensive rezoning in the Charlottetown and Stratford area.

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The federation said in a news release Thursday morning the results of the review will not provide the environment students need.

It said small schools lack the resources to provide services such as single-grade classrooms and guidance counsellors, while larger schools typically have disproportionately larger classes.

"Those decisions were based on government's direction that the number of teachers within the system would remain unchanged," said federation president Bethany MacLeod.

"That current number has proven insufficient to provide 'Better learning for all' with the current number of schools and the current distribution of students."

MacLeod added the federation is very happy for the communities that were able to keep their schools.

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