How the review of Charlottetown schools will involve the public

Public meetings for the review of Charlottetown schools will be announced this week, and the Public Schools Branch says the process will be different this time.

In 2017 the Public Schools Branch undertook a review of the whole provincial school system, and there were a lot of complaints about the process.

Schools director Parker Grimmer said the branch has learned from that experience.

"Many people commented that there were too many passive participants, too many people sitting in chairs listening to presentations. That's not what this process will be," said Grimmer.

The branch is working with a consultation team on the process. Rather than sitting down to watch a presentation, meeting participants will be immediately invited to a table where solutions are being worked on.

"It's very much like teachers work with students," said Grimmer.

"We're going to try to do the same thing. We're going to invite people into what will look like a classroom, it might be a gymnasium, invite them to work on some problems with us and try to find solutions."

6 schools reviewed

The branch announced in April it intended to review five Charlottetown schools it said were in danger of becoming overcrowded within the next five years.

• Charlottetown Rural High School.
• Colonel Grey High School.
• Queen Charlotte Intermediate.
• Spring Park Elementary.
• West Kent Elementary.

On Wednesday night the branch said Birchwood Intermediate would also be reviewed.

The dates for the public meetings are expected to be on the Public School Branch's website by the end of the week.

If you cannot attend, there will also be an electronic survey available to give feedback.

More P.E.I. news