Sask. universities join teachers' federation in calls for sustainable education funding

Representatives from Saskatchewan’s largest post secondary institutions joined together to voice their concerns about the current state of education in the province.

Faculty members from the University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Polytechnic held a joint news conference on Monday with Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte.

In the meeting, the three organizations pledged their support for the STF’s calls for sustainable and predictable funding from the provincial government.

The months long disagreement between teachers and the province has centered on including measures to address classroom size and complexity issues within a provincial collective agreement.

The post secondary delegates said they recognize the fact that a lack of funding and concern for primary education eventually bleeds into the post-secondary system.

“Their students are, and will be, our students,” USask’s Faculty Association Chairperson Geraldine Balzer said in a news release. “We all thrive only with stable and adequate public funding. The chronic lack of priority for education puts Saskatchewan kids at a disadvantage, from elementary school to post-secondary institutions, and to the workforce both in this province and on the world stage.”

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While post secondary educators are not contractually permitted to participate in job action themselves – there’s sentiment of support for the STF in all three institutions.

“However, we are encouraging our members and we hear from our members that they want to support the STF job action in whatever way they can,” U of R Faculty Association President Britt Hall added.

In a joint statement, the educational leaders described the province’s current funding approach as “cyclical” and “unpredictable.”

In her comments, Becotte asked why the provincial government would not want to invest in its people.

“After all, they provide the best return on investment possible,” she said. “Any government keen on building an educated workforce owes it to the people they serve to ensure predictable education funding.”

The pledge of support comes after the province announced it had reached a multi-year funding agreement with the Saskatchewan School Boards Association.

The province claimed the agreement would ensure that there is long-term and sustainable funding to support classrooms around the province – while the STF claimed the agreement served as a ‘backroom deal’ and local school boards were given 24 hours to sign the agreement.

“Both of those things, if they would just be willing to put them within the collective bargaining process, it would provide us with an opportunity to get back to the table and we could likely resolve the dispute relatively quickly,” Becotte explained.

• Sask. Teachers Federation not returning to bargaining table after pre budget announcement

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill referenced the STF’s refusal to accept a memorandum of understanding after the last attempt at bargaining.

“Quite frankly it was laughed off by the STF leadership and that’s fine, that’s their decision at the end of the day,” Cockrill remarked.

“They wanted to discuss that MOU at the bargaining table, we said ‘No, that is not a discussion for the bargaining table.’ We’d be happy to have that discussion between ministry and the STF.”

In a response to CTV News, Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant outlined the government’s approach to funding post secondary institutions.

“We base our funding based on a collaborative approach with our institutions," he said. "We sit down and spend a great deal of time with them to make sure that they have the operating resources necessary to deliver the programs that we need to support the growth plan."

Teachers have been without a contract since August of 2023.

Bargaining initially began in May of 2023 with the STF declaring impasses in October and February.

--With files from Hallee Mandryk.