Province hires more classroom staff to work with influx of new students

The P.E.I. Department of Education has hired four more educational assistants and isin the process of hiring fivemore teachers for eightIsland schools thathave had more students enrolsince the start of the school year.

In early September, the department hired 12 new teachers to work with the241 immigrant students who had enrolled over the summer.

Since then, about 150 students have come from other countries, and many need help learning English or French.

West Royalty Elementary is one of theschools getting a new educational assistant and anEnglish as an additional languageteacher to work part time.

"It really does impact, because especially at the Grade 3and even Grade 4, 5, 6 level, we're not learning to read, we're reading to learn," said Cathy Hendricken Cameron, vice-principal at West Royalty.

Hendricken Cameron said with the number of students who requireEAL supports, the ability to get help quickly from the education department has made the adjustments more timely.

The latest additions are all part of a new hiring approach the department has taken this school year to better respond to the sudden and unpredictable influx of new immigrant students.

Rather than scrambling to get funding approved for more positions throughout the year, the P.E.I. government set aside $1.25 million in its budgetto pay for up to 25 new teachers or educational assistants.

"This actually enables us to respond when the need arises, as opposed to giving that a two-three month time frame, where someone might say, 'I need it tomorrow' but it takes us two or three months to get the funding for it,"said Janet Perry-Payne, EAL administrator with theDepartment ofEducation, Early Learning and Culture.

"We actually have access to funding immediately."

The department saysmore teachersand supports may be hired before the end of the school year, if student numbers justify it.

The new positions are all just contract positions and there is no word on what will happen with them fornext year.

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