Hot Regina schools a symptom of crowded classrooms and chronic underfunding, union says
The uncomfortably hot temperatures some kids are experiencing in classrooms are another sign the province needs to rethink its approach to funding schools, the head of Saskatchewan's teachers' union says.
Earlier this week, a Regina mother told CTV news that she and other parents are opting to keep their kids home from schools without air conditioning.
Samantha Becotte, president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF), said fans and portable air conditioners could be provided to schools, but everything has a financial cost to it, which school divisions are struggling to cover.
“Through this chronic underfunding of education, divisions have had to pull from their reserves in order to cover the budgetary shortfalls,” she said while speaking to reporters on Thursday.
"The number of students in a class can also impact the heat in the classroom too. If you have 33, 36 or 40 kids crammed into a classroom, that temperature rises pretty quickly in comparison to if you had a reasonable number of students."
Becotte said while it is a hard situation to be in, she doesn’t see any immediate fixes.
“There are classes in schools where windows don't open or maybe there aren't windows and there's not enough airflow in the schools,” she said. “This is not a quick solution.”
Installing air conditioning in schools and maintaining school buses are big capital projects that would have to be addressed through operating funds, according to Becotte.
“But so many of our school divisions have depleted their reserves to the point where they are working budget to budget and unless it comes through operating funds, they're just stuck waiting,” she said.
“Many of those capital projects, they take years to plan, they take years to execute and put supports in place to ensure that they have properly supported buildings transportation units and that environments are safe for kids," Becotte said.
Hayden Topliss, a high school student from Yorkton, created an online petition drawing attention to the issue of the lack of air conditioning in schools.
"Honestly, it kinda started as a joke," he said. "Me and my buddies were sitting in ELA and it's super hot in the school, they don't have air conditioning, so I was like, 'What if I just started a petition?'"
The petition received over 700 signatures in less than a day.
"There are some kids in my class who ended up passing out and had to go home because it's too much," he said. "It is hard to learn and even the teachers are sick of it."
- With files from CTV News Regina's Hallee Mandryk
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
DEVELOPING Israel targets air defence system in Syria, state news agency says
Israel carried out a missile strike targeting an air defence unit in southern Syria, causing material damage, state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying Friday.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.