Parents and caregivers of students are having to hand over more money, which the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation believes is creating barriers to fair education. President Patrick Maze believes public education should be paid for out of the public purse and not by parents and teachers.

Along with fees for art materials and sports equipment, some schools have fees for certain classes like drafting or welding and even a cultural fee for taking French. The list of supplies students are expected to bring to school has gotten longer as well, and in some cases it even includes numerous boxes of kleenex for the class.

Maze adds that 96 per cent of teachers use their own money for the classrooms and 53 per cent spend $500 or more.