Some P.E.I. kindergarten teachers who applied for employment insurance benefits this summer have been turned down for the first time in their careers.

Teachers in the regular school system aren't eligible for employment insurance during summer holidays or non-teaching periods. But kindergarten teachers in P.E.I. aren't currently part of that system. They work for private businesses and are only paid for nine or 10 months of the year.

At least nine kindergarten teachers are facing the same predicament. They earn an average of $13 an hour.

"It's been very stressful," said Marlene Warren, a kindergarten teacher in O'Leary who has applied for EI benefits for the last 21 years and always received them.

She thinks she was refused this year because she put "kindergarten teacher" on her application, instead of "early childhood educator," and an EI worker outside the province processed the claim.

"I got a phone call, and they told me that, since I was a teacher, I would not be receiving my EI," said Warren, who appealed the decision.

"I won my case, and they agreed with me, and I thought, 'OK, I'm going to get my money.'"

But the EI commissioner is sending Warren's case to an EI umpire. That usually involves a hearing with a Federal Court judge. EI officials tell Warren it could take up to a year for a decision.

In the meantime, Warren has had to turn to family members to make up $4,000 that's not come in as expected.

"Right now I'm wondering, do I need a lawyer for this case? How am I going to afford a lawyer? It's just so discouraging. I'm entitled to this money. I need this money. It's terrible," she said.

Linda Roach also appealed her case and won, but she doesn't know if her case will be referred to the umpire.

"I think it's ridiculous. I think we've proven that we do not have teacher's contracts. And I think they're spending a lot of unnecessary money," said Roach, who teaches kindergarten in Vernon River.

"I'm having a real hard time understanding why these intelligent, employed people are having a hard time understanding what we're saying."