Schools lack resources for social promotion: professor

P.E.I. schools do not have the resources to move students on to the next grade if they don't get passing marks, says a UPEI education professor.

Prof. Tess Miller agrees that failing students is not a good solution because that can lead to low self-esteem, but she added the Island school system must offer more support to students who have been moved ahead, to make sure they make up the learning they've missed.

"If we can move a child who hasn't been able to demonstrate competence in grade one to grade two, and provide the interventions for that child to catch up, that is absolutely wonderful," said Miller.

"That's what we should be doing, but we just don't have the resources to do that."

Miller believes not properly addressing these students' learning gap partly explains the poor results Island students demonstrated in recent grade 10 international test results.

Miller was consulted by P.E.I. chambers of commerce before those groups raised this issue recently at the legislature's education standing committee.

CBC News contacted the English Language School Board for a comment and was told because of summer holidays no one is available to comment until mid-August.