A principle that proves dispensable

Premier Scott Moe has now acknowledged that inclusion of an “accountability framework” in the collective agreement under negotiation with the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation would be reasonable.

Meanwhile, after the request of Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, the Saskatchewan School Boards Association opposes including class size and complexity in the collective agreement.

The government's stated concern is over the governance principle that school boards must retain autonomous control over local matters of education. Its position would be more credible if government actually embraced this principle. However, recent history shows otherwise.

For years, the issue of expression of gender identity in schools had been governed locally, with differing approaches taken across the province. Late last summer, the government became concerned over the issue of parental rights, and quickly overrode local authorities with its own provincewide agenda.

The local autonomy principle is apparently dispensable in the service of parental rights while remaining more important than addressing the needs of our students and those working so hard to educate them.

The local autonomy principle works when government, the school boards association and the STF are all doing their jobs.

Unfortunately, we now see a government that allows our education system to deteriorate year after year and a bargaining team with a school board association that remains neutral except when asked to support the government.

This leaves STF as the only effective advocate for the students in a bargaining process where their normal role would be to advocate their own collective interests. This is not a governance model worth defending.

Jim Gillis, Saskatoon