'Change is always hard': Parent expects schools review will lead to better education

A parent from Stratford is stepping up to voice her support for the schools review process currently underway on P.E.I.

Draft proposals from the Public Schools Branch recommend the closing of five schools two in the west, two in the eastand one in Charlottetown. Communities have been rallying to keep the schools open.

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"Change is always hard, but it will lead to a better system," Nadine Sutcliffe told CBC Radio: Island Morning. Sutcliffe reached out to CBC because she felt there were too many negative things being said about the process.

"Nobody's out there to make things difficult for one specific region. It's P.E.I. It's a small place, and a 10-minute drive down the road is not a terrible choice for getting a child to school."

The Public Schools Branch says the review is designed to deal with a number of schools on the Island that are either underutilized or overcrowded.

Sutcliffe is hopeful that the money savedclosing schools will be reinvested in curriculum delivery.

Coping with change

Sutcliffe would like to see some discussion about how to help children deal with the coming changes, she said. School closures and rezoning mean many students will be attending new schools next year.

Her son will likely be one of those students changing schools.

"That's your job as a parent: to help your kid through change," she said.

"I also think most kids will adapt. Kids are very adaptable and generally speaking they adapt to this kind of change fairly easily. It's the parents who are more concerned and anxious about it."

Sutcliffe said she has not yet been to any of the public meetings on the school review, but said she may attend the round of meetings that starts this week in order tovoice her support for the process.

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