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As you may haver heard by now I am serving as the Co-Chair of Parents for Choice & Quality in PEI. This group has recently emerged and describes itself as follows:

Parents for Choice & Quality are a group consisting of mothers, fathers, grandparents, child care centres, industry professionals and concerned citizens of PEI that has grown quickly because the current consultation process was designed in reality to limit informed input. The group is working to ensure that parents get the choice and quality that they deserve for their children. This website has been established as well a Facebook group called PEI Child Care Facilities Act and Regulations; which now has in excess of 150 members.

In recent weeks there have been many developments in the child care world on the Island and our group has many concerns about what has been unfolding. First of all, we are feeling very uncomfortable with the lack of thorough consultation process that has occurred regarding proposed changes to the Child Care Facilities Act and Regulations. These changes include the possibility of limiting child care licenses in certain areas of Prince Edward Island. Here is a copy of a recent News Release that we issued. Here are some of our thoughts on the most recent consultation meeting that occurred last week in Charlottetown. There are so many unanswered questions about what is happening so April Ennis and I wrote to Sarah Henry to try obtain further information and disclosure about both the process and research. We are now waiting for a reply.

From The Guardian – News about the PEI Kindergarten Age Changes:

Changes announced today make children eligible to enter kindergarten or school earlier in Prince Edward Island. Previously, children were required to be five years old by August 31 to start kindergarten, and six years old by August 31 to start school. The date will now change to October 31, beginning in the 2008-2009 school year.

Premier Robert Ghiz says the revised policy reflects Government’s commitment to lifelong learning beginning in the early years. “There is a great deal of new research that indicates young children benefit from being in a structured learning environment,” he said. “We want to do everything possible to support early literacy and learning, to identify learning difficulties at an early age and provide the necessary early interventions,” he said.

Education Minister Gerard Greenan said the new policy responds to parent concerns. “We are hearing from more and more parents with children born in the early fall who feel that their children are ready for school and kindergarten. These parents feel it is unfair that their children cannot start kindergarten or school here when they could in most other provinces. The new eligibility date will put the P.E.I. start date more in line with the rest of the country,” said Greenan.

The new policy means that approximately 250 additional children will be eligible to attend kindergarten and school in 2008.

Although kindergarten is not compulsory in Prince Edward Island, over 95 percent of Island children are enrolled in kindergarten programs. It is the parents who decide whether to enter a child in kindergarten or school or to delay the child’s entry for one year. Parents who wish to register their child for kindergarten should contact the kindergarten of their choice to do so.

If parents of children born in September or October 2002 decide to enter their child in grade one next year, they may also choose to enrol their child in kindergarten for the remainder of this academic year. They are advised to contact their kindergarten for more information.
Supplementary school registrations will be held in March for parents of children who wish to register their children for grade one in September 2008.

For more information on kindergarten policy, contact Carolyn Simpson at the Department of Education at 902 569 7526. For information on school registration, contact your school board office

Parents for Choice & Quality Speak Out

PEI Kindergarten Age Changes in Middle of Year