With the provincial budget released, education is one of the sectors focused on, with some support coming from a source that's been vocal about better education funding in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Teacher's Federation gave their take on the budget, saying that they were encouraged by the spending.
STF President Samantha Becotte says that the province's proposal is what they expected following the throne speech, with some gains for restoring student-based funding.
“This is another step in the right direction. In last fall’s election, the STF asked parties to invest in public education and called for per-student funding to be restored. We know a decade of cuts can’t be addressed with one budget. We are cautiously optimistic this will be the start of continued investments in public education with predictable, sustainable funding that meets the needs of a growing student population.”
For the upcoming fiscal year, the Ministry of Education will receive $3.5 billion, an increase of $183 million, or 5.5 per cent, over the previous year.
Some of the initiatives being laid out by the province include $130 million to fund the new teacher bargaining agreement and find ways to better help the pressures associated with growing student enrollment, $54 million to address non-teacher salary increases, transportation and inflation, and to build 50 specialized support classrooms over the next four years.
Becotte adds, “Investing in public education will help ensure students have equal access to the supports that they need within their PreK-Grade 12 education, which will lead to increased probability of achieving government’s priorities.”
The STF's figures show that per-student funding has been on the decline over the past decade (adjusting for inflation), with a gap of $2,450 remaining despite an increase in the previous budget. This year's budget closes that gap to $1,850, with a full restoration requiring an additional $375 million in the 2025-26 budget.
“There is still more work to do, and teachers are committed to working collaboratively with government to ensure the best outcomes for students,” says Becotte. “But we can’t do it alone. Budgets reflect priorities and investing in public education is an investment in the future of our province. Saskatchewan has one of the best-performing economies in the country. Saskatchewan students and families deserve access to a properly funded public education system that meets students’ needs.”
The province will also continue on it's initiative to improve literacy in Kindergarten to grade 3 students mentioned in the throne speech, with a set aside of $2 million for that issue.