Prince Edward Island Independent Review of the Education Authorities For Immediate Release August 18, 2025 Charlottetown, PE –

The Independent Review seeks to engage interested persons and organizations who would like to be heard. All interested members of the public and public organizations who wish to participate are invited to make written submissions. The Commissioner will consider all relevant information received.

Effective June 3rd, The Minister of Education appointed the Honourable David H. Jenkins, retired Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island, as Commissioner to review concerns related to the safety of students and the handling of complaints or incidents of sexual misconduct by school staff in the Island public education system. Now underway, the review includes an audit of the policies, processes and procedures relevant to the safety of students in Island schools, and specifically of the handling of complaints and incidents of sexual misconduct by school staff against students.

Every child has the right to feel safe, respected, and protected at school. Media reports of criminal court convictions involving sexual misconduct by school staff generated acute public interest. Pursuant to the Education Act, the Minister appointed an independent inquiry to examine relevant matters, including reported incidents during the period 2023-2025 and the treatment of those complaints, to determine if the actions taken and reporting procedures were sufficient to comply with relevant legislation and best practices.
The scope of review is Island public education system-wide, including the education authorities (school boards) – the Public Schools Branch (formerly English Language School Board) and La Commission scolaire de langue français (French Language School Board) – and the Department of Education and Early Years.

The stewards of the education system need to ensure that schools are a safe place for students. Islanders share the concern that when incidents of sexual abuse or misconduct by staff against students occur in a school setting, it shakes the necessary foundation of trust. This concern affects students, parents, educators, non-instructional staff and the public.
The review will be followed by a report that will aspire to provide a comprehensive audit of these serious matters and make effective recommendations for the future. The review is entirely independent, and embraces the attributes of fairness, openness, transparency, and proportionality.

The work is being carried out over the course of this summer and fall, in four overlapping stages. First, gathering and reviewing existing policies and processes regarding the handling of complaints and incidents.
Second, an examination of how the education authorities formulated and utilize these policies and processes generally, and more specifically how they applied the policies and processes when addressing specific incidents. Given the nature and sensitivity of matters in issue and associated privacy obligations, the Commissioner is carrying out most of this work out by way of individual interviews with persons who would have relevant information.

There is a public element to the inquiry. The public is concerned about how incidents are handled, and whether students feel safe reporting them. Those concerns can be deeply personal. The Independent Review wishes to appropriately engage this important public interest. Informed public input will help ensure that recommendations are rooted in real-world experiences and community needs. The third stage of the review –invitation for written submissions — seeks to facilitate opportunity to participate by interested persons and organizations – parents, students, educators, staff, stakeholders, community leaders, etc. – who have relevant information or advice and may wish to be heard.

Topics of interest might relate to one or more of: knowledge about existing policies and processes, their formulation and application generally, or their application to a specific complaint and incident during the time period 2023-2025; knowledge of initiatives within the PEI education system for changes or improvements to policies designed to address any of the mentioned concerns; and/or an informed perspective on a matter within the scope of the review that one may wish to share with the Commissioner.
The Review approach is trauma-informed and culturally sensitive. Broad scope of public input is encouraged. This will help ensure that Review recommendations are rooted in real world experiences reflecting diverse community needs.
The last stage will involve formulation of the audit and recommendations and compilation of the Commissioner’s report. Under the Education Act, the Commissioner is to present his final report to the Minister. The Appointment advises that the Minister will then make the final report publicly available, subject to legal and privacy considerations.

The Commissioner invites members of the public and public organizations to make written submissions, which will be received until September 29, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. All submissions will be treated with discretion and be without attribution in the report.
Full information about the Education Act Appointment, purpose and responsibilities, and the protocol for public submissions may be obtained upon request to Independent Review administration office: educationactreview@gov.pe.ca; tel. (902) 213-3480; PO Box 1176, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4K9

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Contact Information
Fallon Berry
Review Administrator
fallonberry@gov.pe.ca
Appointed pursuant to the Education Act to review concerns regarding the safety of students and the handling of complaints and incidents of sexual misconduct by school staff.
Atlantic Technology Centre
Suite 309B, 176 Great George St
Charlottetown, PE
902-213-3480