The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) held a news conference asking the provincial government to deal with chronic underfunding in the K-12 education system.

“Chronic underfunding and education cuts, including the restructuring of Jordan’s Principle funding, have left schools struggling to provide basic supports,” said Karla Sastaunik, chair of the CUPE Saskatchewan Education Workers’ Steering Committee (EWSC). “We’re talking classrooms without enough staff, students missing resources, and school divisions forced to make impossible choices every day.”

The EWSC launched a September survey to assess the impact of underfunding.  More than 750 people from 20 school divisions responded.

-98 per cent report their school division faced cuts in the last two years

-86 per cent reported reductions in one-on-one support for students

-29 per cent reported maintenance of school building was reduced or cut.

The NDP brought up the survey during Question Period but Premier Scott Moe pointed to an 8 per cent increase in the education budget.