The Saskatchewan provincial budget introduced by Finance Minister Donna Harpauer increased education funding by 1.3% or $47.2 million over last year. .But education advocates said the increase is nowhere near enough..The Ministry of Education receives $2.9 billion to support prekindergarten to Grade 12, early education, and school and child care staff..According to Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) President Patrick Maze, this budget needed a 4.7% increase to maintain the status quo of programming and services. In his view, the budget is a 3% cut to K-12 and results in a five-year funding shortfall of 10%..“These cuts will directly impact students across the province. School divisions will be left with no choice but to cut programs and services that are already underfunded and insufficient to meet students’ needs,” said Maze..The operating funding for the 27 school divisions is $1.99 billion which includes the $29.4 million to fully fund the 2% teacher salary increase from the Teachers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement. There is an additional $6 million in learning support and a new $7 million fund to support 200 additional full-time educational assistants..“The operating increase announced in the 2022-23 budget does not cover operating expenses for school divisions… School boards may have difficult decisions to make, once again,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, president of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA)..“Classroom size and complexity are growing and becoming more urgent each year. These challenges are symptoms of a chronically underfunded education system,” said Maze..“Teachers and school staff have shown incredible creativity and resiliency in trying to meet growing needs without the proper tools, but there is only so much they can do. Students’ needs are going unmet. Saskatchewan families deserve better.”.The education budget disappointed official Opposition Leader Ryan Meili..“After a disruptive three school years, our students deserve to see a commitment to get them back on track, yet instead we see a budget that doesn’t cover the basic cost of inflation, forcing schools to further cut classrooms and services,” said Meili at the NDP budget press conference..“This budget proves that the Saskatchewan Party government has lost track of the realities facing Saskatchewan people.”.Through the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training, the government announced $114 million on working training programs. This includes $2.5 million for the Re-Skill Saskatchewan Training Subsidy that’s a new, employer-driven, short-term training program..NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon pointed out it’s not preparing Saskatchewan for a changing labour force or diversifying economic development when workforce development programs get slashed by 41%..Maze and Davidson see this education budget as a plan to fail for the future. The students in education now are the workers of tomorrow. Education is an investment in the future success of the province..“We have been advocating for adequate, sustainable and predictable operational funding for quite some time and we have noticed the ability of boards to deliver services to students has been eroded over the last several years,” said Davidson..“This budget is a failure to plan for tomorrow and invest in our province’s future,” said Maze. .“A strong Saskatchewan requires all students to have access to a quality, properly funded public education system.”.Chris Oldcorn is a Western Standard Reporter based in Regina.,coldcorn@westernstandard.news,.Twitter: @chrisoldcorn
