The Public Section of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association would like to join the SSBA in expressing concern and caution regarding today’s announcement by Minister Harpauer to increase funding for independent Schools to 50% and Associate Schools to 80% of the provincial per-student average.
Bert de Gooijer, Chair of the Public Section stated, “Saskatchewan has a quality public system of education for all children that needs to be valued. Ad hoc changes of this nature without any reasonable form of consultation with key educational partners have the potential to have a negative incremental affect on the quality of education of public school divisions.”
“We need to be very careful to not erode public education and public school divisions’ capacity as the core providers of education in our province. School boards have recently gone through a major amalgamation process to find efficiencies and provide equity and now the government appears to be creating funding for select operations. Will the funding come from new money or will it come from the existing pool? Will these changes impact on capital funding for public school divisions?
Finally, and to re-emphasize, it is essential that the Ministry develop a culture of consultation with the educational partner organizations that exist in our province, particularly the SSBA. School boards have a frame of reference that is available for government to tap before they formulate long term policy. It only makes sense that the government would gather all perspectives and information before they proceed with changes such as this.”
For more information you are invited to contact:
Bert de Gooijer, Chair, Public Section, 306 527 8339, email bdegooijer@pvsd.ca
Back to more posts