You might be wondering what issue I might have with the provincial Minister of Education, especially considering I left school more than 60 years ago. Well there are a few reasons. Number one would be of course, the poor results our education system received recently. We have been rated with the lowest scores across the nation. But my personal beef is the fact that the Minister appears to be unaware of what is going on within the PEI school system. I had occasion to sit beside him at a recent event at the Lieutenant Governors Residence in Charlottetown. It was my opportunity to ask him why the “PEI Volunteers for Literacy” (formerly the LOVE Program–Let Older Volunteers Educate) had come to an end? Until quite recently we had an organization run by a half time paid Government employee, we had a board and directors, and we met once a year at our AGM. We had a web page with contact numbers and email address. Most importantly we had in place a requirement the RCMP do a security check on each and every volunteer. I was so disappointed when the program ended, but decided that regardless I would continue to volunteer at my local school where I have worked for the last 16 years. But let me get back to the original subject, I asked our Minister of Education why the program had failed? Imagine my surprise when he assured me the program was still active. He explained his wife is a member and has been volunteering in Vernon River school for years. He was quite assertive in telling me this program was alive and well. I think I can safely assume his wife continued volunteering as I did after the program failed. Let me be equally assertive in telling you there is no longer an organization known as the “PEI Volunteers for Literacy”. So Folks there you have it, a Minister of Education who does not know what is going on within the Dept of Education or in the provincial field of education. Should we be worried????
God Bless and a Very Happy Christmas
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