Submitted by: Submitted by Greenfield Home and School Association Hide Resolution
WHEREAS playground equipment is a valuable tool for developing school age children’s physical strength and co-ordination, social skills such as sharing, teamwork and competition and mentally preparing them for classroom expectations.
WHEREAS playground equipment located on school property benefits not only the students of that school but the surrounding community as well. Many school yards house the only playground structure for their particular communities.
WHEREAS playground equipment, even when properly maintained, due to age, normal wear and tear, changes to CSA standards or vandalism may be deemed by the PSB to be unsafe or unfit for use and be removed or ordered to be removed from site.
WHEREAS PSB operational procedure 202.1, subsections 4.4 and 4.5 state: “4.4 A school, Home and School Association or other school affiliate will be fully responsible for all costs related to site preparation, purchasing and installing playground equipment and protective surfaces, to CSA standards; 4.5 The Public Schools Branch will assume ownership, upon final inspection, of the playground equipment that has met CSA and Public Schools Branch standards and will take responsibility for all ongoing costs related to inspection, maintenance, warranty and insurance related concerns.”
WHEREAS schools and Home and School Associations have very limited means to fund replacing removed playground equipment.
WHEREAS the PSB owns, inspects, maintains, warrants and insures playground equipment purchased by schools and Home and School Associations, as per PSB operational procedure 202.1, the PSB should share with schools and Home and School Associations some of the responsibility for replacing removed playground equipment.
BE IT RESOLVED that the PEI Home and School Federation requests the Public Schools Branch and Department Education and Lifelong Learning to form a committee, with Federation of Municipalities, PEIHSF representation, to review school community supports for the provision of safe school playgrounds across the province.
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Resolution 2021-2: Request for Committee to Review Funding of Replacing Expired or Unsafe Playground Equipment
APPROVED AMENDMENT:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the PEI Home and School Federation requests the Public Schools Branch and Department Education and Lifelong Learning to form a committee, with the Federation of Municipalities, independent municipalities, PEIHSF representation and community partners to review school community supports for the provision of safe and inclusive school playgrounds and outdoor spaces across the province.
| Destination: | Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture Public Schools Branch |
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning: Request for Committee to Review Funding for Replacing Expired or Unsafe Playground Equipment – The Department of Education and Lifelong Learning is willing to form a committee to identify potential funding opportunities for school playgrounds. Currently, the Department of Fisheries and Communities does offer funding for playgrounds through their Community Revitalization Program. At a recent meeting of the Three Oaks District Advisory Council, the topic of playground funding was discussed and it was recommended that a group be formed to document how the process works and the funding possibilities that may be available. The DAC also recommended that the process capture the learnings from previous projects throughout the province in an effort to develop a document that can be provided to future groups exploring playground installations.
Staff from the Public Schools Branch are willing to provide guidance to playground committees when planning to ensure the proper CSA approved equipment is being sourced and being placed safely on school playgrounds. The PSB maintains the playground structures after they have been constructed. Staff from the PSB (who are CSA trained in playground inspections) complete yearly inspections and provide maintenance and repairs as required. If a piece of equipment is deemed unsafe and cannot be reasonably repaired, they will arrange to have the piece removed. Typically they will advise the school prior to the removal but only after the inspection.
The CSLF has a similar approach to providing planning, installation and maintenance by a certified playground inspector.
~Hon. Natalie Jameson, Minister DELL
Public Schools Branch: I acknowledge the approved resolutions from the May 10, 2021 Annual General Meeting and support the response provided by the Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning. The Public Schools Branch is prepared to collaborate with the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning in bringing the proposed resolutions to fruition.
~Bethany MacLeod, PSB Board Chair and Deputy Minister, DELL