Probationary teaching positions safe this school year

Probationary teachers on the Island will not see a reduction in hours this year after all, according to the president of the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation.

Probationary teachers have permanent positions but have been working for fewer than two years.

Gilles Arsenault says there were initial concerns those teachers would be affected by the provincial cuts, at least with reduced hours.

But he says the province's school boards found a solution.

"The school boards have moved teachers around to be able to keep at least their probationary teachers. At the end of the year if you will recall we were scared that some of them were going to be reduced or that they would lose their positions," Arsenault said.

"Probationary teachers, with the help of the school boards, were retained in the system."

However, many contract teachers are out of work this school year.

"The major concern is the many term contract teachers that didn't have their term contract renewed because of the cuts to the school system."

The provincial government made education cuts in the spring budget.

It said 60 teaching positions would be eliminated over the next three years mostly through attrition.

About 40 permanent teaching positions are being eliminated this fall alone, Arsenault said.

Arsenault says the federation is disappointed by the loss of those permanent classroom teachers and the contract teachers who have not had contracts renewed.

He says it will have an impact on the types of programs that can be offered and will put added stress on Island classrooms.