Province's teachers know students best

Does letter writer Matthew Hooper understand the meaning of the word hyperbole? His rant was certainly full of it. A teacher's work environment is also a student's learning environment.

The Saskatchewan government's per-student kindergarten to Grade 12 operating budget declined from 2015 to 2021. Though the student population is growing and their needs more diverse, there's been a significant reduction in student support specialists.

Included in this population growth are English as an additional language students and students who require intensive aid. Despite their best efforts amid the higher and higher student numbers, funding cuts have left teachers struggling to bridge the ever yawning gaps.

Currently, teachers in six Canadian provinces include class size and complexity as part of their professional teaching contracts. We should all be clear that classroom size and complexity are intrinsically linked to the quality of kindergarten to Grade 12 education.

One is left to ponder whether the provincial government has an ulterior motive for consistently cutting school budgets.

Considering their handling of Qualified Independent Schools and their fondness for turning Saskatchewan institutions over to private enterprise, can the Saskatchewan government be relied upon to provide stable, longterm kindergarten to Grade 12 funding for school divisions across this province?

I place my trust in the collective lived experience of professional teachers in Saskatchewan who have the best understanding of their students and classrooms. Class size and complexity definitely should be part of the teachers' contract.

Traci Baker, Saskatoon