Union calls on P.E.I. to begin early childhood review

'The early childhood sector now finds its back up against the wall.' - Shelley Ward.

Charlottetown (4 Aug. 2009) - The P.E.I. Union of Public Sector Employees (PEIUPSE/NUPGE) is asking the Ghiz government to begin a comprehensive review of the early childhood sector in the province.

The union says the planned introduction of full day school-based kindergarten in September 2010 will have a significant effect on the sector.

As forecast by the Commissioner's Report on Public Kindergarten, the union notes, "measures may be needed to avoid the loss of too many early childhood centres in the province."

PEIUPSE president Shelley Ward adds:

"The commissioner's report identifies the impacts on early childhood educators but makes few recommendations to avert these impacts. The early childhood sector will lose over $5 million dollars in revenues in 2010 and over a third of their staff. Many centres will be forced to shut down," she forecasts.

"In effect, the (report) points out the serious consequences of introducing school-based kindergarten without having a plan in place to protect the vital early childhood education sector in Prince Edward Island."

Ward says the Early Childhood Development Association (ECDA) asked government to assess the early childhood sector "when it was first decided to review" the kindergarten system in P.E.I.

"Not surprisingly, at this much later date, we find the commissioner recommending the very same thing. The difference is that the early childhood sector now finds its back up against the wall," Ward says.

"The government must ensure that the commissioner's recommendation is carried out promptly. Premier Ghiz has also assured Islanders that there will be more investments in early childhood education and a possibility of providing funding to keep early childhood centres open. The care and education of our most precious resource and the livelihoods of our educators and business owners depend on it."

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE