WHEREAS the Prince Edward Island School Act references the need to “encourage good relations among schools, parents and the community and promote family and community awareness of the importance of education” (section 49(h)), and the importance of providing a “channel of communication between the school and the community, and to build awareness among parents of school programs, activities, and issues” (section 67(b), and,

WHEREAS parent representatives on Department of Education and Early Childhood Development committees have, in past, acted as an important connection between home and school, and

WHEREAS in recent years the number of committees and the frequency of meeting of committees has decreased or been suspended entirely, and

WHEREAS the contribution by parents to committees works best when everyone – parents, bureaucrats, policy makers – clearly understands the role of parents on committees,

BE IT RESOLVED that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development formalize the communication to the PEI Home and School Federation of which committees are active, which are inactive, and which have been suspended, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that there is provision for PEI Home and School Federation representation on all committees, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the description of the role of parent representatives is formalized so that it is clear to the representatives, to the PEI Home and School Federation, and to other committee members what the parent representative’s role is (are they voting members? do they receive copies of the minutes? may the minutes be circulated to parents for consultation? will provision be made to schedule meetings to accommodate parent schedules?)