Teachers' federation needs to act, says NDP

NDP leader Mike Redmond wants the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation to do more to keep teaching positions from being eliminated.

"Certainly, politically we will support the PEITF but we need to see some leadership there. Teachers need to know that somebody's going to fight for them and this is, in our opinion, way too many cuts to the teaching profession and we need to see some kind of action by the PEITF," said Redmond.

CBC reported earlier this week that 41 education positions will be cut, including 28 teaching positions at the English board and a further 13 positions at the board level and at the department of education.

"There's so much waste in government that there's other areas to save money and certainly the education should be the last thought, not the first," said Redmond.

Teachers' Federation president Gilles Arsenaultcommented to CBC Monday on the loss of positions saying, "Teachers are working so hard and yet again we're cutting in the teaching profession ...It's going to have a significant impact on students and their families."