New support staff at schools will help foster positive culture: P.E.I. government

A classroom is seen at an elementary school in Toronto on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

More support staff will be available at Prince Edward Island schools in the upcoming school year.

Beginning this fall, more than 120 new hires will join the school systems, including 66 new instructional positions and 51 new educational assistant positions, according to a news release from the provincial government.

The province says 18 of the 66 new teaching positions will be for behaviour support teachers to help with the new Positive Behaviour Intervention and Supports pilot program. That program is launching in several public schools to help students better integrate into island classrooms.

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The program was designed to help promote a positive culture with dedicated behaviour support teachers and other supports to improve students’ social, emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes.

“With a growing population and increasingly diverse classrooms, we have not shied away from investing in not just more resources but also specialized supports for our schools,” said Minister of Education and Early Years Natalie Jameson in the release.

“More teachers, EAs and other instructional staff is what we need to foster a healthy learning environment for our students, and the addition of behaviour support teachers is our latest innovation to build a more inclusive education system for years to come.”

The province says the program’s approach involves all school staff and offers the flexibility to adapt to the needs of the overall school environment, including students, families and the surrounding community.

"At the Public Schools Branch, we are committed to creating a positive, supportive environment where every student can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally… By reinforcing positive behaviours, we are setting our students up for success both in the classroom and in life,” added Tracy Beaulieu, director of the Public Schools Branch.

More information about education supports for students can be found online.

For more Prince Edward Island news visit our dedicated provincial page.