'Language barrier can create a challenge': School branch informing newcomers about rezoning

P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is working to makesure newcomer families are up to speed on school rezoning that will come into effect in September and how it will affect their children.

• School rezoning letters going home
• Students forced to move schools through rezoning will be notified

The PSB said it's heard a lot ofquestions and concerns from familiesincluding immigrant familieswho have just arrived in recent years who may bestruggling to understand if and whytheir children have to move schools.

Schools tried to the best of their ability to translate those letters to target populations.Janet Perry-Payne

PSBsaid language is an issue as much of the communicationaround the whole school review process such as public meetings and information on the branch websitehas been in English.

"Most of those meetings were held in English, so there weren't interpreters on site to provide that type of information," saidJanet Perry-Payne, English-French additional language program administrator.

Open houses with translators

"The language barrier can create a challenge," she said.

There are 150 EAL students who will need to move schools next year through rezoning andand chances are their parents haven't really been engaged up to now said Perry-Payne.

Perry-Payne saidthe branch is doing its best to provide the right language help.She saidletters recentlysenthome to parents whose children will need to move schools were translated for parents whose first language isn't English.

The branch is also planning open houses at schools taking in rezoned students and interpreters will be on site at those too.The PSB is alsomaking sure the PEIAssociation for Newcomers is aware of open housesand posting on itswebsiteas it postsin multiple languages.

"Schools tried to the best of their ability to translate those letters to target populations, especially those in larger quantities the Chinese community, the Arabic community, making sure those families actually understand what that letter meant in their own language."

Rezoning affecting staff too

She said parents are asking questions whether the school will be the same and the PBS has been assuring parents that all schools on P.E.I. are very similar with the samecurriculum.

With150 EAL students moving schools PSB saidthat creates more staffing work now too, as the branch needs to figure out just how many EAL teachers and supports are needed in each school in September.

PSB saidit won't really be able to finalize those details until August, when it has a better sense of how many EAL students have left the lsland over the summer and how many more have moved here.

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