Moe, Wyant reiterate pledges to restore education funding

Two of the candidates competing to replace Brad Wall as leader of the Saskatchewan Party are reiterating pledges to boost education funding after the union representing the province’s teachers said school divisions are bracing for more cuts.

While most of the five candidates agreed with Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre’s statement that no decisions have been made, only Scott Moe and Gord Wyant committed not only to reversing cuts handed down in the last provincial budget, but also adding more funding.

“I want to restore the funding that was cut last year for public education and I want to look to enhance that funding,” said Wyant, whose education platform, released in November, said “not a wheel turns within our provincial economy without education.”

Moe in an email said he would funnel an additional $30 million into the system — which would more than replace $22 million in operational funding cuts — with the aim of hiring an additional 400 educational assistants for classrooms across the province.

“I will commit to balancing the budget, but not on the backs of our students, our elderly, our sick, or our most vulnerable,” said Moe, who first pledged to restore the $30 million in late December.

Tina Beaudry-Mellor said in an email that she has committed to examining the “supports for learning ” component of the education budget, with the aim of helping teachers manage classrooms “with an increasing number of children with complex needs.”

Ken Cheveldayoff said education funding rose for a decade before dipping in 2017-18, and it is more important to manage existing funds better — ideally through his proposed Ministry of the Child, which would consolidate ministries with overlapping responsibilities.

Alanna Koch said she would ensure the education system receives the “proper resources and investment, aligning curriculum with industry’s needs and finding efficiencies in our operations,” while making sure classrooms have the right number of teachers for a growing population.

“My view is that education is a priority and is our investment in our children’s future,” Koch said in an email.

The Sask. Party government’s unpopular 2017-18 budget slashed funding for schools by 6.7 per cent, or just over $50 million.

School divisions responded by issuing pink slips to some staff members, eliminating programs and finding other ways to save money.

In a news release issued Tuesday, the STF said it has learned school divisions are “are being called on by the government to prepare for another round of cuts in the upcoming (2018-19) provincial budget,” which is expected in March.

Chinook School Division acting education director Kyle McIntyre said his organization’s funding was cut by about $9.9 million in the previous budget, of which it was able to claw back $6.5 million, leaving it “no other choice but to look at teacher staffing levels” to address the remaining $3.5 million.

In a statement, Eyre said the government has not directed school divisions to prepare for another round of cuts and is “actively considering” ways to address funding shortfalls though no budget decisions have been made.