The Minister of Education says this is the most positive he has felt so far regarding a potential deal between the province and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation.

Jeremy Cockrill says he expects the two groups to be back at the bargaining table next week.

He has confirmed that class size and complexity will not be included in the contract, however he is optimistic that the accountability framework the government recently proposed is enough to land a deal.

“It really will offer teachers to have a voice in terms of feedback to local divisions on how dollars are allocated within local school divisions. We think having that teacher voice is really important.”

Cockrill says the two sides have been engaging in conversation over the last few days, and he is optimistic that common ground will be reached in the near future.

“We are closer than we think. There’s more that we agree on than we disagree on. Everybody wants to come to an agreement that’s going to work for teachers, but also is going to work to taxpayers and parents and families.”

Earlier this week, Cockrill alluded to a potential extension of the school year. This morning, he admitted that although nobody wants that, he will review the amount of instructional time lost and determine whether or not a change needs to be made.

“Instructional time was being affected in several divisions around the province. My responsibility as the minister of education is to ensure that there is quality education being offered and received by the students of this province…and if that’s being compromised in any way, it’s incumbent on me as the minister…to review things and understand if we need to make a change to ensure that quality education happens.”

“I don’t think anybody wants that. We want to get a deal done. Nobody wants to see the school year extended. Summer is short enough already in Saskatchewan, so I think that’s why the opportunity to come to an agreement soon will help to avoid that,” he noted.