Premier Scott Moe says he is “listening” to concerns about underfunded schools—but the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) is not convinced.

The STF says the public education system is severely underfunded and requires $400 million just to return to 2012 levels when Saskatchewan led the country in per student funding. The STF says our province ranks 8th following the spring budget. On Monday, the Premier told reporters there would be additional money for schools later this year.

The teacher’s union issued a news release with a list of what it calls ”misleading” statements by the Premier and Education Minister Dustin Duncan. Among them, teachers are not driving higher education costs because salaries fell below the Consumer Price Index for five out of seven years. The following is from the STF news release:

• To suggest there have not been cuts is simply not true.
  • According to the Fraser Institute in 2012-13, Saskatchewan was first in per student funding. With this latest budget, Saskatchewan is now 8th.
  • This has resulted in school divisions having no choice but to cut supports and services. From 2017-18 to 2021-22, cuts include:
    • 13.5 percent reduction in English as an Additional Language teachers.
    • 16.2 percent reduction in teacher counsellors.
    • 64.5 percent reduction in teacher librarians.
    • 5 percent reduction in teacher coordinators.
    • There are 377 fewer teachers now than there were in 2020-21.
• According to Saskatoon Public Schools, total per student funding has been cut from $10,036 to $9,896 and the division is now facing a $2.5 million shortfall.
• Teacher salaries are not the driver of increasing cost. Between 2016-22, the teacher salaries fell below the Consumer Price Index five out of seven years.
• The crisis in public education is not the result of an unusual and sudden immigration increase. The percentage of the provincial budget going to education continues to get smaller.
  • 13.5 percent in 2018-19
  • 11.3 percent in 2022-23
  • 10.9 percent in 2023-24