Noon-hour supervision is being withdrawn for one day in schools across Saskatchewan on Thursday.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation said teachers will not be available to supervise students who are eating lunch at school or taking part in noon-hour activities, adding that the teachers will be leaving schools during that time.
According to the STF, lunch break supervision is provided by teachers on a voluntary basis.
“A decade of government funding cuts has meant parents in several school divisions are forced to pay out-of-pocket fees of $100 or more for their kids to stay at school over the noon hour,” says Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation president Samantha Becotte.
“School boards face the impossible task of balancing government funding shortfalls and the rising costs of services that students need. Students and families are caught in the middle, and I encourage every parent and caregiver in the province to let our government officials know how they feel about that.”
The STF said that anyone concerned about this job action should contact their MLAs and elected school board trustees.
On Sunday, a second round of rotating teacher strikes was also announced by the STF for Wednesday.
The following school divisions will be subject to strike action on Wednesday:
- Creighton School Division
- Northern Lights School Division
- Prairie Spirit School Division
- Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools
- Saskatoon Public Schools
Strike action will also include Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises schools and Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre teachers who work at a school or regional campus within the area of the listed school divisions.
Teachers and the provincial government have been butting heads over a new contract agreement, with one of the main sticking points over classroom size and complexity.
While both sides recognize that classroom size and complexity are issues that need to be addressed, teachers would like those issues to be part of the bargaining process. However, the province refuses, saying those are issues better handled by local school boards.
Becotte said that this was the province pointing fingers, saying school boards don’t have the funding to address these problems.
The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) and local school boards in the province have refused to weigh in on the battle between teachers and government, but have been very vocal in the past about their funding and the need for more of it.
“The SSBA represents school boards on the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee, and out of respect for the collective bargaining process, we are unable to comment publicly about bargaining. Boards support bargaining in good faith and continue to encourage teachers to return to the bargaining table,” said SSBA president Jaimie Smith-Windsor.
“Local boards work within their means and the resources they are provided to offer high-quality education – however, the provincial government is solely responsible for the funding of education.”
Regina Catholic Schools sent out a notice to parents about the lunch hour changes, saying that end times for in-person learning will change for the majority of students on Thursday.
It also noted that all before- and after- school programs will only operate in the morning.
Regina Public Schools sent a release saying that it cannot have students safely in schools without supervision and would be dismissing elementary schools at noon and high schools at 1 p.m.
“As a result of the shortened day, end of day transportation will begin just prior to early dismissal. Specific adjusted pick up and drop off transportation times will be communicated to individual families of transported students over the next two days by email from transportation,” the Regina Public Schools notice said.
It was noted that teachers will be in school in the afternoon but will not be offering in-person classes and that students will be given work to do in the afternoon outside of school.
Saskatoon Public Schools say all schools will be closed at lunch but will have two learning options available for elementary students in the afternoon. Students will have the option of returning to class after lunch for in person learning. Students who stay home for the afternoon, will be provided with take-home learning either on paper or online to complete.
Saskatoon Public Schools says every day, 371 teachers supervise lunch in their schools.
Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill spoke Monday shortly after the STF made the announcement to remove lunch hour supervision on Thursday, saying this is not where they’d like the situation to be.
“We’d like to have a willing partner at the bargaining table,” Cockrill said.
He said the government has been clear on items they don’t view as things that can be at the bargaining table.
Cockrill said when it comes to something like classroom complexity, he believes the solution will look different in each school.
He said the government wants to make sure public employees are properly compensated.
— with files from Andrew Benson
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