The Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) government has mandated the province’s school boards to update their policies concerning the employment of educational staff, including the requirement for regular criminal record and vulnerable sector checks. Education Minister Robin Croucher issued a ministerial directive on Wednesday instructing both the Public Schools Branch and the French-language school board, la Commission Scolaire de Langue Française, to promptly revise or create new human resource policies and procedures related to the employment of education staff, applicable to both current and new employees.
The directive follows the case of former substitute teacher Matthew Alan Craswell, who pleaded guilty in April to sexually touching an elementary school student in a classroom and is facing a charge of sexual interference in connection with another alleged incident at a different Island school.
According to Croucher, the school boards’ policies must now include a satisfactory criminal record check before employment and updated criminal record checks on a rotational basis, as well as a satisfactory vulnerable sector check before employment and updated checks also on a rotational basis. Additionally, employment checks, annual offence declarations, and immediate disclosures are to be part of the policies.
Croucher emphasized the importance of ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for students, stating that the directive is a crucial step in clearly defining requirements and expectations for those involved in employment decisions within the public school system.
However, opposition parties, such as P.E.I. Liberal Leader Robert Mitchell, have expressed concerns that the timeline for full implementation of the policies by both school boards, set for September 1, 2026, is too lengthy, risking children’s safety in the interim. Mitchell also highlighted the need for more frequent criminal record checks.
Green MLA Karla Bernard echoed the sentiment that the directive, while a positive step, should be part of a more comprehensive approach, such as a sexual misconduct policy, to better protect Island students. Bernard emphasized the importance of having clear procedures in place for students in case of any incidents.
Tracy Beaulieu, director of the Public Schools Branch, welcomed the directive, noting that while criminal background checks have been mandatory for new staff since 2011, they will now work on establishing a rotational process to keep existing staff checks up-to-date. Measures have also been taken to address the limitations of background checks, including international declarations during the hiring process.
The directive calls for collaboration with education stakeholders to develop the policies, ensuring input from students, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, and employee unions.
In response to the directive, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and the P.E.I. Teachers’ Federation have expressed support and provided feedback to the Department of Education, emphasizing the need for trust and accountability in the education system. The ongoing third-party review led by former P.E.I. chief justice David Jenkins aims to further investigate student safety and the handling of safety incidents within the education authorities. Both organizations are hopeful that the review will bring about meaningful changes to enhance school safety for everyone involved.