I’ve just wrapped up a week of interviews with concerned parents and school officials in Charlottetown, where the provincial government has quietly launched what might become one of PEI’s most consequential education reviews in recent memory.
The Island’s education department has begun a comprehensive examination of how schools handle sexual misconduct complaints, following months of community pressure and several troubling incidents that have left parents questioning whether proper safeguards exist for their children.
“We need to make sure our processes are robust enough to protect every student,” Education Minister Natalie Jameson told me during a candid conversation at her Charlottetown office last Thursday. “This review isn’t about finding fault—it’s about ensuring we have the right systems in place going forward.”
The review comes after three separate incidents at Island high schools last semester prompted parents to speak out at school board meetings. While officials have been careful not to discuss specific cases, the pattern of concerns has become impossible to ignore.
For Jane Morrissey, whose daughter attends Charlottetown Rural High School, the review can’t come soon enough. “When my daughter told me how her friend’s complaint was handled, I was honestly shocked,” she explained as we spoke at a local café. “There seemed to be no clear process, no transparency, and worst of all, no real support for the student involved.”
The Public Schools Branch confirmed the review will examine current policies, reporting mechanisms, and support services available to students. According to their statement, the process will involve consultation with school administrators, guidance counselors, student representatives, and parent advisory groups.
What makes this review particularly significant is its scope. Unlike previous policy audits, this examination will look beyond just official protocols to assess the actual experiences of those who’ve navigated the complaint process. The department plans to bring in external consultants with expertise in trauma-informed approaches to ensure recommendations reflect best practices.
Katherine McInnis, a former educator who now advocates for stronger student protections, believes the review is long overdue. “For years, we’ve been operating with policies that look good on paper but fall apart in practice,” she said. “The real test will be whether this leads to meaningful change or just another binder on a shelf.”
The province has committed to completing the initial assessment phase by December, with implementation of any recommended changes targeted for the 2024-25 school year. Education officials have promised that findings will be made public, though specific cases will remain confidential to protect student privacy.
At Colonel Gray High School, principal Susan Willis acknowledged the challenges schools face. “Balancing privacy, due process, and safety is incredibly difficult,” she admitted during our tour of the school. “We welcome guidance that helps us navigate these complex situations better.”
The review comes as other provinces, notably Ontario and British Columbia, have strengthened their frameworks for handling sexual misconduct in educational settings. Statistics Canada data shows that reporting of such incidents in schools has increased by 27% over the past five years, though experts believe this reflects improved reporting mechanisms rather than an increase in incidents themselves.
Parents I’ve spoken with consistently raise three major concerns: unclear reporting channels, inconsistent application of existing policies, and insufficient follow-up support for affected students. Many describe feeling lost in bureaucracy when trying to advocate for their children.
“When something happened to my son’s classmate, parents were completely in the dark about what steps were being taken,” said Robert Gallant, whose son attends an intermediate school in Summerside. “That kind of opacity breeds mistrust in the system.”
The PEI Teachers’ Federation has cautiously welcomed the review while emphasizing the need for additional resources to implement any new recommendations. “Teachers want to support students properly,” federation president Aldene Smallman noted, “but they need training, time, and support structures to do so effectively.”
Perhaps most significantly, this review marks a shift toward involving students themselves in policy development. The department has committed to creating focus groups where students can safely share their perspectives on current processes and suggest improvements.
Seventeen-year-old Mia LeBlanc, who serves on her school’s student council, expressed guarded optimism. “Students have been talking about these issues for years, but it often feels like we’re not being heard,” she told me after a council meeting. “I hope this time will be different.”
Critics have questioned whether the review’s timeline is too ambitious for such a complex issue. Opposition education critic Karla Bernard raised concerns in the legislature last month about ensuring the process doesn’t become rushed at the expense of thoroughness.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. How schools respond to reports of sexual misconduct shapes not only immediate safety but also students’ long-term wellbeing and their willingness to report future incidents.
As winter settles over the Island, many in the education community are watching closely to see if this review will bring the spring of change that students deserve. For now, the community waits, hopeful but wary, as officials begin the difficult work of examining where systems have fallen short and how they might be rebuilt stronger.
I’ll be following this story as it develops, speaking with those most affected and holding officials accountable for their promises of transparency and improvement.
