REGINA - In a bid to get labour talks with teachers moving again, Premier Scott Moe took to social media Wednesday night to announce major funding towards education.
On a video posted on the X platform, Moe said that the provincial budget would include the largest increase in school operating funding ever in Saskatchewan history, and include $356 million towards classroom supports — an increase of over $45 million over last year.
In the video, Moe said the government had made major commitments to classroom size and complexity, and had said that substantial new funding for classroom size and complexity would be included in the provincial budget.
“The teachers union has questioned this commitment and used this as their reason to not return to the bargaining table and to continue with job action. So today, I am taking the very unusual step of announcing part of the education budget prior to budget day. This should clearly demonstrate our government’s commitment to address teachers’ concerns around classroom supports.
“So the 2024-25 provincial budget will deliver the largest increase in school operating funding ever in Saskatchewan’s history. There will be $180 million of increased funding, up nearly nine percent, to $2.2 billion. This would include $356 million that is specifically dedicated to classroom supports, an increase of over $45 million or about 15 percent since last year.
“That is a record budget to address classroom size and complexity and we will continue to work very closely with our school divisions to ensure this record investment is used where it is needed the most, right in our classrooms, supporting our students.”
Moe concluded his social media video with a call for STF to pause the teachers’ job action, with STF currently planning to pull noon hour supervision in several school divisions this Friday.
“… So today in light of these significant new commitments, I am asking STF to pause their job action so that teachers and students can return to their classrooms, and the teachers’ union can return to the bargaining table.”
STF unimpressed
Instead of a return to the bargaining table, STF issued a statement which basically rejected the latest olive branch from the government.
"Government has once again announced ad-hoc funding to avoid being held accountable. This is exactly what we predicted would happen and has come only after an enormous amount of public pressure. Our education system cannot function properly if it is reliant on ad-hoc, politically motivated funding announcements that come and go at the whim of the Minister.
"The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation has been clear: We will not return to the bargaining table until government and Saskatchewan School Boards Association are willing to include a firm, irrevocable commitment in the collective agreement."
