REGINA - Opposition New Democrats were once again slamming the Saskatchewan Party for not keeping pace with hiring teachers for a growing student population in the province.
In a news release issued Tuesday afternoon, the NDP noted that according to the government’s recent annual Education Staffing Sector Report, obtained by the NDP through a Freedom of Information request, there were 86.3 fewer classroom and distance learning teachers working today compared to 2020. During the same period student enrollment has gone up 12,869. Counting the Sask. DLC distance-learning students, it was up 15,594.
The figures were worse than the NDP had initially thought. At a news conference at the Legislature that morning, Opposition Leader Carla Beck and Education Critic Matt Love slammed the government over the enrolment pressures in education.
“We continue to hear stories about kids sharing desks, sharing textbooks, music rooms, libraries, even the teacher's lounge being turned into learning spaces to deal with this growth,” said Beck.
“And we also hear story after story about kids who need help, help with acquiring a new language, with reading, with math, who are simply unable to get that help. And we understand this isn't the fault of our teachers. They're doing everything that they can, but they are worked to the bone. And there have never been so many kids in our classrooms. The needs have never been so great.”
Beck also repeated the now-familiar NDP line that “our classrooms have gone from being the best funded to the worst in Canada, in last place when it comes to per-pupil funding.”
Education Critic Love pointed to the pressures teachers are under with the growing enrolment.
“Teachers are telling us that they feel ignored, they feel burned out, and they've been raising the alarm over crowded and complex classrooms for years,” said Love. “Some parents have also stepped forward to tell us that they're considering uprooting their entire family to move to a different province just to get their kids the support that they need. Other parents have come forward telling stories that their children are not even allowed to attend school because they don't have the supports in place for them to do so safely. Now, our province has incredible potential. You shouldn't be ranked as last place in the entire country for education. It's time for a government that invests in our kids, invests in their education, and invests in our collective future.”
When asked by reporters what the solution was, Beck said the “first thing is to start to get Saskatchewan out of last place when it comes to per-pupil funding.”
She pointed to the provincial budget coming up as “not only an opportunity, but I would say a necessity for this province, for that investment in our future to see meaningful investments in our classrooms.”
Beck added that what “won't work, and what we've seen from the Sask Party over the last decade, has been the same old tired talking points of 'record investment in education.' These numbers lay bare the reality of the inadequate funding that this Sask Party government has placed in education.”
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the Sask Party government issued this response to the NDP’s announcement:
“Through the Throne Speech, our government has committed to getting back to basics with a renewed focus on education. This renewed focus will look to ease the pressure and complexities in our classrooms through initiatives like the expansion of the Specialized Support Classrooms. Saskatchewan continues to spend the most per-capita in among provinces, this past year saw an increase to the education budget of 8.8 per cent for a total of $2.2 billion in school operating funding. This has allowed for over 200 new teachers to be added to the classroom for the current school year.
“Since 2007 we have increased school operating funding by $808 million, a 57 per cent increase, while enrolment has increased by 19 per cent. In 2024-25, the student-to-educator ratio of 15.2 and the average class size of 19.9 remained the same as the previous year.
“Our government will continue to prioritize education and ensure our students receive the supports, skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the growing province.”
