Modified Red Restricted measures for schools and childcare

Schools in Prince Edward Island will be closed as of Monday, March 1 for a 72-hour period.

These measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution and to allow sufficient time for COVID-19 test results to come in. There is currently no indication that any schools have been affected in the recent COVID-19 positive cases. 

School will resume on Thursday, March 4. Parent-teacher interviews scheduled for Friday, March 5 may continue via phone or virtually. Individual schools will communicate directly with their school communities. 

The Department of Education and Lifelong Learning will work with the Chief Public Health Office, the English and French language school boards, Prince Edward Island Teachers’ Federation and Canadian Union of Public Employees to continue to assess the situation daily. Any necessary modification to these plans will be communicated in the coming days. 

Teachers and education staff can expect communication from the Public Schools Branch, la Commission scolaire de langue française and their principals on process and timelines for when they will be able to access their respective schools to get their instructional materials should that be necessary. 

In the event of a move to remote learning, the Province of Prince Edward Island has developed a Remote Learning Guide for Parents and Students.

Since April, the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning has been working with the province’s education authorities to ensure a transition to remote learning can occur successfully. This includes:

• curriculum revisions to address potential learning gaps and prioritize key foundational learning outcomes early in the school year;
• identifying the internet and technology needs of students;
• establishing protocols to handle the distribution of school devices to students quickly and efficiently as needed; and,
• introducing and integrating digital learning into the classroom to familiarize students and parents with online educational platforms.

Families can reach out to their respective school board offices if they have further questions related to school:

• Public Schools Branch : 1-800-280-7965 (toll free)
• Commission scolaire de langue française: 1-902-854-2975.

The Department of Education and Lifelong Learning will coordinate the delivery of a food security program for families in need effective Tuesday, March 2. If you would like to enroll, please contact peischoolfood@edu.pe.ca or 902-438-4896 by 4pm on Monday, March 1. 

Child care centres across the province, including those that operate out of schools, will remain open. Parents with school-aged children who typically attend an after-school child care program should reach out to their respective centres to determine availability of child care support. 

Further details will be provided in the coming days.

Media contact:
April Gallant
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
902-314-2753
aldgallant@gov.pe.ca