SASK. PARTY AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FAIL SASKATOON STUDENTS

Sask. NDP calls for more educational assistants and funding for Saskatchewan classrooms

SASKATOON – Today, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Education Matt Love – along with several Sask. NDP MLAs – joined with parents and educators calling for the province to take responsibility for public education and fund more desperately needed educational assistants in light of Saskatoon Public School Board being forced to lay off 80 positions due to a lack of funding.

“Let me be clear – education funding is a provincial responsibility. Our school boards shouldn’t have to rely on backfilled federal dollars to hire more educators,” said Love. “Under the Sask. Party, our province is last place on education – the very last in Canada. We need a real, generational investment to ensure that our kids – all our students – have the support they need and deserve.”

Last week, Saskatoon Public Schools announced it would be terminating the contracts of 80 educational assistants over the next two weeks because it hadn't received expected federal funding under Jordan’s Principle.

The loss of educational assistants in Saskatoon comes at a time when Saskatchewan is falling further and further behind when it comes to education staffing.

Jordan's Principle is named in memory of Jordan River Anderson, a member of Norway House Cree Nation. In 1999, Jordan was born with multiple disabilities. Due to disagreements between Manitoba and Ottawa over who should pay the costs of his home care, Jordan spent his entire life in hospital. He died at the age of five without ever visiting his community or living in his family home.

“Jordan River Anderson spent his entire life in a hospital because rather than act, both provincial and federal governments spent their time pointing their fingers at one another,” said Leroy Laliberte, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for First Nations and Métis Relations. “Because of a disagreement over funding, Jordan didn’t get the support he deserved. That was the whole point of bringing in Jordan’s Principle, to properly support Indigenous people.

“No one taking responsibility. No one taking action. Just both governments once again pointing the finger at each other as our students go without supports.”

“These layoffs will hurt all students in Saskatoon public schools but especially impact Indigenous students with intensive needs.”

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