Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation President Samantha Becotte pointed out that public education funding faced a shortfall of nearly $287 million. (ID 23815265 © Crystal Srock | Dreamstime.com)

By Kenneth Cheung

EDUCATION ISSUES

STF calls for newly re-elected government action on education funding shortfall

Oct 30, 2024 | 2:16 PM

With the provincial election recently completed and the Saskatchewan Party’s green flag once again swaying in the Legislative Building, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with them to seek additional funding to address what they see are pressing issues in the education system.

“The more we see students going without the support they need, the more we hear from parents about the need for additional school investment. As I said, we’re ready to work with all the partners within education and find solutions,” said STF president Samantha Becotte.

Becotte pointed out that public education funding faced a shortfall of nearly $287 million, noting that this needed funding was merely to maintain the ‘status quo.’

“So many divisions are working on a deficit, and, like I said, they are either using the reserve to fund that shortfall or cutting support and services,” she said.

According to Statistics Canada, by 2021-22, per-student funding had fallen to eighth place, down 20.7 per cent, or $3,362 less per student after adjusting for inflation. To maintain 2015-16 funding levels, STF believes spending would need to increase by 12 per cent, requiring an additional $268 million beyond the $180 million already announced on March 6.

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“We have growing needs, and we have education budgets that aren’t keeping pace with enrolment and inflation, which puts school divisions in a really tough position,” she stated.

To illustrate this urgent need, she pointed out that student enrolment in Saskatchewan increased by approximately 15,000 from the 2015/16 school year to 2023/24, while only 10 full-time equivalent teachers were added to each school division during that time. Consequently, many students are not receiving the support they need, particularly in terms of mental health resources, Becotte said.

“I’ve also heard from counsellors who have caseloads of up to 200 students, and when you’re trying to schedule regular appointments with 200 students, and then you put an emergent situation on top of that, and things get bumped back, but they really just end up jumping from crisis to crisis,” she said.

“I’ve heard that expressed a lot from students where they just don’t have the one-on-one time that they need.”

As many students are aware of their challenges, Becotte shared a group from Saskatoon that took the initiative to create a petition during the spring, gathering peer signatures to call for government collaboration on effective solutions.

“We need to have the political will in the province to make kids and their education, specifically public education, a priority,” she noted. “They needed the government to support those solutions and to invest in their future and education, too.”

Becotte emphasized that STF and teachers are eager to collaborate with the government over the next four years to find solutions. In addition to addressing classroom size and complexity, she highlighted that violence in the classroom is a pressing issue that must be tackled.

She hopes with the upcoming school board trustee election on Nov. 13, the elected candidates will advocate for their school divisions and collaborate with the government to find solutions.

“it’s all in the best interest of the young people in our province, and to me, they are the future of Saskatchewan.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com