The Sask. Party has never made getting Saskatchewan children the supports they need in education a priority and because of it students are falling through the cracks or losing access to the classroom altogether.
“What every parent in the province wants is for their child to have proper access to education with all the supports they need,” said NDP Education Critic Carla Beck. “The Sask. Party’s heartless cuts to education and the classroom are making it harder and harder for families throughout the province to be sure their kids are getting what they need.”
Chris Steer’s son Leslie lives with global development delays and has pulmonary hypertension. Doctors and therapists advised that Leslie should be enrolled in pre-Kindergarten at Westberry School in their hometown of Kindersley to help with his development. As a consequence of the Sask. Party cuts, the school doesn’t have an educational assistant so Leslie can’t get the help he needs at school.
“This whole process has been extremely frustrating,” Chris Steer said. “I’ve contacted the Premier’s office and I’ve contacted the Ministry of Education, but they won’t give us answers and they’re not willing to listen. All kids deserve an education and shouldn’t have their access taken away.”
This year, as a result of Sask. Party cuts, the Sun West school divisions has had to cut more than a million dollars out of their instruction budget.
“The Sask. Party pulled millions of dollars out of education and are now pretending to be surprised that children are suffering,” Beck said. “Families and students know better and deserve a lot more than heartless cuts and spin from the Sask. Party.”