By Lasia Kretzel

Province releases findings of Student First consultations

Sep 19, 2014 | 8:02 AM

The Saskatchewan government has wrapped up its investigation into what students want in their classrooms to help them graduate.

The Student First engagement process sent two advisors across the province to find out what students, parents and teachers thought could be done to boost the province’s high school graduation rates.

“Before we talked about administrative needs, ministerial needs, ministry needs but what we weren't doing well enough was saying, 'What's important to the child and the people being educated?'” education minister Don Morgan said.

Following a year-long process and more than 2,000 consultations, advisors Russ Mirasty and Patricia Prowse released their findings in a document entitled Student First Engagement Discussion Guide.

The 21-page document divides their findings into four themes; relationships, engaging the student, the learning environment, including student/teacher supports and shared responsibility. The entire document can be viewed on the government of Saskatchewan website.

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Prowse said students came prepared to tell them what worked well, how they learned best, what kept them engaged and the barriers getting in their way, whether within or outside the school.

One challenge highlighted by Prowse was the need for day care services for young parents so they can complete their schooling.

Morgan said findings such as the need for day care can be solved without having to wait for the next budget.

“We can move some resources or we can do some things so that's the type of thing we'll start focusing on right away,” he said, adding other findings may take longer to solve.

While the report offers insight into what education stakeholders like and dislike about the current system, it does not offer any recommendations to the provincial government.

“I think it’s really important now that we take a look at the findings that have come out, the themes that developed and look for ways to put them into action,” Prowse, a superintendent for the Saskatoon Public School Board said, adding she will use her findings to implement changes within the Saskatoon area in the near future.

The Student First project was introduced in July 2013 to help the province meet the targets of its Saskatchewan Plan for Growth.

Morgan said the province aims to boost Saskatchewan graduation rates from the current 74.8 per cent to the national average of 82 per cent and close the gap between First Nation and non-First Nation students by 50 per cent by 2020. Aboriginal graduation rates currently sit at 37.4 per cent.

Morgan said the provincial government will also work with First Nation reserves, who are subject to federal jurisdiction, to integrate program changes. He said while there are common issues across the province it will be a challenge to meet community-specific needs from a provincial level.

“A continuing task for our people is to try and identify all of the pieces and try and make everything fit together and that’s a real challenge for us,” he said. 

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