The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation says the impact of underfunding is being felt in the schools, only a few weeks in to the school year.  STF President Samantha Becotte says there wasn’t enough funding to cover the growing number of students and the rising operating costs, and the one-time funding from the province this summer didn’t cover it all, and isn’t reliable funding from one year to the next.

The STF has launched a media campaign urging the province to add more permanent funding to its education budget. Becotte gives the example of a Grade 3 teacher she spoke to recently who has a number of students who may not get the education assistant support they require, which pulls the teacher in too many directions, not being able to give one-on-one attention.

She also heard from a counsellor who has 200 students she regularly sees, and describes the situation as ‘triage’.  Becotte says the students deserve better. She understands that not everything can be immediately fixed, but urges the provincial government to fund the divisions to the point where they don’t have to make cuts.

The Federation is also inviting teachers, parents and anyone concerned about the future of students’ education to join the conversation and share their experiences by visiting www.tellthemtuesday.com.