Minister of Education Chester Gillan today announced that 106 PEI teachers will retire in June from the province's education system, under the terms of the Workforce Renewal Plan released last month. Minister Gillan stated 106 out of a possible 130 teachers will retire in June — an 82 per cent response rate.
"On behalf of all Islanders, I would like to recognize the 106 teachers who will be retiring in June for their commitment to Island students," said Minister Gillan. "Our students have benefited greatly because of their desire to promote knowledge and life long learning."
Sixty-four teachers will retire from the Eastern School District, 39 teachers will retire from the Western School Board and three teachers from La Commission Scolaire de Langue Francais will retire. Sixty-one of the retiring teachers are male and 45 are females.
The Workforce Renewal Plan provides incentives for teachers who are within two years of eligibility to retire from the profession and allow a significant number of new teachers to take their positions. The three primary components of the Workforce Renewal Plan for eligible teachers include:
• Teachers aged 53 and 54, will receive the equivalent pension they would be entitled to if they were retiring on August 31, 1999 at age 55 years. Forty-three retiring teachers fall into this category and will accept this bridging component.
• Teachers who are aged 58 and 59 years and who have more than 10 years of continuous service or 20 years of total service, but fewer than 30 years of service, will receive an equivalent pension they would be entitled to if they were retiring on August 31, 1999 at age 60 years. Three teachers retiring in June fall into this category and have accepted this component.
• Teachers who are aged 55 years or older, who are eligible and have continued to work, will receive a half-year salary retirement incentive. Sixty teachers fall into this category and will be eligible to retire with a half-year salary in June.
A total of 19 school administrators from across the province will retire in June. These administrative positions include: seven principals, three directors, four vice-principals, two consultants and three department heads.
Minister Gillan stated the Department of Education is currently in the process of developing a plan which will offer teachers currently in the school system, opportunities to access new leadership training programs for school administrator positions.
In addition, Minister Gillan recently introduced amendments to the Teachers' Superannuation Act in the Legislature which reinstated provisions to integrate Canada Pension Plan benefits at age 65. Under the old legislation, teachers who receive their Teachers' Pension at age 60 years were penalized, with respect to their Canada Pension Plan benefits. Under the new legislation, this penalty was removed. This component will benefit all Island teachers upon retirement.
Minister Gillan also noted the key factors which led to the development of the Workforce Renewal Plan. In recent years, few full-time teaching opportunities in PEI have forced many Island graduates with teaching degrees to seek employment in other jurisdictions or other professions. In addition, recent teacher shortages in other areas of the country, particularly Ontario and Nova Scotia, have resulted in the heavy recruitment of Island education graduates. Minister Gillan is confident the Workforce Renewal Plan for PEI teachers will help to ensure Prince Edward Island is not faced with a similar teacher shortage problem in a few years.
There are many benefits of the Workforce Renewal Plan. The plan creates new opportunities for young educators, many of them trained in PEI through the provincially-funded university, to work in PEI; the plan creates opportunities to reduce overall salary costs, while planning for the renewal of the education system for the beginning of the next millennium, and the plan exposes Island children to newly trained teachers who are familiar with the latest teaching methods and strategies.