In June of 1968, PEI Minister of Education Gordon Bennett sent a letter to Kenneth MacLean, President of the Rural Development Council, inviting his group's participation in a “Consultative Committee” on education. The mandate of the committee was broad and the approach consultative:
The Department of Education and its co-partners - the teachers, trustees and parents - have done much over the past ten years to up date and up grade the quality and content of education, in spite of insurmountable financial problems. For the first time, given an adequate budget, the Department of Education, with the assistance and cooperation of all sectors of the province will be able to develop a total plan to meet the educational needs of our time.