From the Journal Pioneer: We must think of the children

November 3, 2009

The Journal Pioneer

Editor,

It stuns me that a program such as the passport to employment program would be considered a viable solution to both the shortage of Early Childhood Educators on Prince Edward Island due to the move to full-day kindergarten and the shortage of qualified staff to work with young children who have been diagnosed with autism.

Clearly it is time for the P.E.I. government to rethink many of the approaches that are being made with respect to Island children.

The policies, decisions and actions of the P.E.I. government are no longer even remotely close to acceptable. Suggesting that people with four weeks of training is a quality solution to educator shortages in the fields of early learning and early intervention is ridiculous.

Yet somehow these programs were allowed to move forward. Even worse; they have been viewed by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development as a viable option to addressing staffing shortages and to supporting Island families.

I ask this: How much does the future of Island children really matter? Does the future of Prince Edward Island even matter?

If children were truly valued on Prince Edward Island then we would be seeing sound and strategic decisions being made and implemented. Quite plainly, Island families and children are being put at risk due to the bureaucratic carelessness and inappropriate policy decisions.It appears that many of these policies are being made up as we go along. Solutions are being implemented based on desperation, not research, best practice or long-term strategy.

Prince Edward Island needs a comprehensive, broad based early childhood development strategy for all young children. Prince Edward Island needs an autism strategy. We need this today, not tomorrow.

We are getting to the tipping point on these issues. Islanders recognize that children are our future and will no longer be tolerant of policy decisions and programs that are clearly not in the best interests of children and families.

Please contact your MLA today and voice your concern. The future of Prince Edward Island deserves much, much better than this.

Jane Boyd, President,
Parents for Choice Quality Society,

via www.journalpioneer.com