School Division numbers show 23 percent more English as an Additional Language (EAL) students in our major centres and seven percent fewer EAL teachers in the province over the past few years — just one example of how this government’s underfunding of education has hurt students and strained classrooms, says Saskatchewan NDP Deputy Leader Carla Beck. Beck called on Premier Moe to live up to his leadership promise that he would not balance the budget “on the backs of our students, our elderly, our sick, or our most vulnerable.”
“Moe’s past pledge directly contradicts his government’s entire approach, and he’s shown no sign of changing course” said Beck. “Trying to balance the books on the backs of kids and future generations is exactly what his government is ‘on track’ to do this year. And it’s precisely the wrong approach: their cuts and underfunding hurt kids and families today and cost us so much more down the road.”
Despite the growing number of kids with complex needs in our schools, the Sask. Party government has made significant cuts in the classroom, cutting $74 million from our schools over the past two years alone. As a result, according to the government’s own statistics, there are now fewer counsellors, psychologists, and speech language pathologists supporting those kids than there were in 2014-15.
“This underfunding of our classrooms is a slow-moving crisis that hurts families across the province in a dozen different unique ways each day: kids left to struggle on their own, missed days of school, stressed out parents, and overworked teachers” said Beck. “It’s not rocket science: they manufactured this crisis with their cuts, they need to admit their mistake and invest in Saskatchewan kids.”
Records show former Sask. Party Finance Minister lobbied for Calgary surgery scheme on behalf of a major Sask. Party donor
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition grilled the Premier and his Minister of Health after the Minister misled the public, claiming that he had not been lobbied by a former Sask. Party MLA when Saskatchewan's official lobbyist logs show the exact opposite.
Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital short 15 pediatric specialists
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition and concerned parents sounded the alarm on Premier Scott Moe’s failing healthcare staffing plan. The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital is short at least 15 pediatric specialists, forcing families to travel to Toronto for basic care.
REGINA - According to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Saskatchewan people face the longest average wait times in Canada for knee and hip procedures for the fifth consecutive year.
Scott Moe retains the worst jobs record in all of Canada since he took office in 2018
REGINA - The latest Statistics Canada report shows that, after six years in office, Premier Scott Moe still has the worst jobs record in all of Canada as the province loses 6,000 jobs, all of them full-time, in March.