PEIRobin Croucher, P.E.I.’s minister of education and early years, outlined further details of a ministerial directive he introduced last month that aims to increase security checks when hiring people into the province’s school system.Ministerial directive includes volunteers, anyone associated with school activities, says Robin CroucherRyan McKellop · CBC News · Posted: Nov 05, 2025 9:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesA new ministerial directive introduced by Education and Early Years Minister Robin Croucher aims to increase security checks during the hiring process at Island schools. (Kimberley Molina/CBC)Robin Croucher, P.E.I.’s minister of education and early years, outlined further details of a ministerial directive he introduced last month that aims to increase security checks when hiring people into the province’s school system.Robin Croucher announced a directive on Oct. 22 that requires staff in the Public Schools Branch and P.E.I.’s French-language school board, la Commission Scolaire de Langue Française, to provide annual criminal record checks, vulnerable sector checks and offence declarations.Speaking at the opening of the fall sitting of the P.E.I. Legislature on Tuesday, Croucher said the directive applies to everyone in the school system — including coaches, volunteers, substitute teachers and permanent staff.“It doesn’t matter if you’re a full-time educator, a substitute teacher… one of our awesome volunteers that come in and do the breakfast food programs,” Croucher said. The minister’s directive raised concerns among opposition members, including Liberal MLA Carolyn Simpson. Speaking in the legislative assembly for the first time during question period, the newly elected MLA acknowledged the effort put into the directive, but said some components of it concerned her, like the lack of specificity to some of the language used. Carolyn Simpson, Liberal MLA for District 9 Charlottetown–Hillsborough, shared concerns she has about the ministerial directive lacking specific language about who it applies to within the school system. (Legislative Assembly of P.E.I.)“Terms like employees and personnel are used repeatedly, yet under the definition section of the directive, these terms are not defined,” Simpson said during question period.She said language used in P.E.I.’s Education Act is very intentional in the definitions of people who would be employed by the school authorities, and the language used in the directive makes it unclear who the new policies will apply to.“Why was such imprecise and inconsistent language used in the school safety directive, and how can Islanders have confidence that it will be enforced adequately when it does come, when it doesn’t define who it covers?” Simpson asked Croucher.Croucher responded that the ministerial directive “speaks to each and every staff member in our system.”Continual background checks requiredThe directive aims to bring in more stringent checks during the hiring process to curb any bad actors from being hired into the Island’s school system.It comes after former substitute teacher Matthew Alan Craswell pleaded guilty in April to sexually touching an elementary school student in a classroom. Craswell has also been charged with one count of sexual interference, which is the sexual touching of a person under the age of 16, in connection with another alleged incident at a second Island school.Speaking with reporters after question period, Croucher said one of the things he’s most proud of within the directive is required background checks for staff who worked elsewhere and are returning to P.E.I.’s school system.Croucher, says the ministerial directive will cover everyone who works in the school system, not just staff. (Barry Acton/CBC)“Whether you’re gone for two weeks or two months or two years, when you come back into the system you’re required to have criminal records checks, vulnerable sector checks, self declarations, very extensive background checks and reference checks,” he said.The minister said these checks will be conducted thoroughly, and criminal record checks and vulnerable sector checks will need to be updated every three years.Offene declarations will have to be done annually.’All hands on deck’Croucher told CBC News that other sectors such as early childhood education are not covered under the directive, but work is being done to close any gaps.Currently, early childhood educators are required to have a criminal background check and a vulnerable sector check dated six months prior to applying for a licence.“We’re working right across the system with our early years sector, our education system, we’re working collaboratively together,” he said.“It’s all hands on deck to review policy, strengthen policy, introduce new policy and protocol where need be and ensure that there are no gaps, and that we do have the safest places to send our children.”The government said full implementation of policies and procedures under the directive must be in place by Sept. 1, 2026.ABOUT THE AUTHORRyan McKellop is a graduate of the Holland College journalism program and is working as an Associate Producer and Web Writer. Got a story idea? Email ryan.mckellop@cbc.caWith files from Cody MacKay
P.E.I.s education minister says new safety directive applies to everyone in school system, not just staff
