It’s a campaign promise both the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) are opposing.
On Thursday, Premier Brad Wall said if the Saskatchewan Party is re-elected on November 7, the school year will start after the Labour Day long weekend starting in the 2012-13 school year.
The STF and the SSBA say they were not consulted about the potential change in the start date.
“The Saskatchewan Party, on the request of another unrelated sector, has made a unilateral decision that does not take into consideration the potential impact on the quality of student learning,” said STF president Steven Allen.
Saying there are many factors that affect student learning, including instructional time, transportation and provincial exams, SSBA president Sandi Urban-Hall said the “arbitrary decision shortens the time period to meet the same educational expectations.”
“Saskatchewan students are simply not receiving sufficient hours of instruction to achieve their fullest potential.”
Wall said a recent study by Tourism Saskatchewan found that 60 per cent of tourism-related businesses suffer from students starting school before the Labour Day long weekend.
“Many parents have also told me they would like to see the school year start right after Labour Day,” added Wall.
The STF said it will continue to advocate for a school year supported by research-based evidence on quality student learning while the SSBA has called on Wall to work with them to ensure students receive the hours of instruction needed to achieve success.
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