Monday’s throne speech started an abbreviated session of the Legislature in Regina. As teachers continue to wait for the outcome of an arbitration report on their contract and key issues facing classrooms, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation issued a statement saying they were encouraged by what they heard from the re-elected Moe government.
The statement noted it was “promising to see they are also finally recognizing the challenges in classrooms and have considered first steps to improve students’ and teachers’ experience in public schools.”
“Voters were clear this fall that the status quo was not working, and a new approach is needed if we are going to give Saskatchewan students the resources and supports they need to be successful,” says Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation President Samantha Becotte in the release. “Statistics Canada shows that many aspects of Saskatchewan’s economy are among the strongest in the country, so our government is well positioned to reverse a decade of underfunding and commit meaningful, long-term funding for our public education system.”
During the election campaign, the STF issued its own ‘Vote for Public Education’ campaign, complete with lawn signs and campaign literature. While not attached to any political outcome, the messaging was clearly targeted to keeping education high on the minds of voters. The key rally was to have whoever formed government restore and maintain what the STF considers adequate per student funding and to address issues of class size and complexity, along with the growing concern of violence in the classroom.
“I look forward to many opportunities for collaboration and discussions with Education Minister Everett Hindley and his staff in the weeks and months ahead,” Becotte said. “There is a lot of work to do, and we know all the challenges won’t be solved immediately; however, many meaningful changes can be made and implemented quickly. If the education sector can work together for the best interests of students, families and teachers, we can get our publicly funded education system moving in the right direction.”
Premier Scott Moe has stated the province “can expect to see some very specific goals that will drive some much-needed improvements in the areas of health care and education.” The release concluded stating that the STF fully intends to see those words become action to benefit the province’s students.