On June 24th, public policy associate professor and graduate chair Michelle Bussière-Prytula published a paper outlining her concerns with education in the province.
What she said was initially supposed to be a page-and-a-half paper turned into 10-page report outlining issues that she believes are grave. The report, titled Public Money, Private Priorities: Impact of Education Policy Shifts on Democracy, Equity, and Local Governance in Saskatchewan, touches on three main concerns.
The first is property taxes, as education property taxes will no longer flow directly to school divisions. Instead, the money will be redirected to the province’s General Revenue Fund. The second is a decline in provincial funding, as funding for public schools decreases while funding for private schools increases.
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The last concern surrounds online education being consolidated into a Crown corporation — something Bussière-Prytula says eliminates local oversight.
Bussière-Prytula’s paper argues that these changes reflect a shift from viewing education as a public good, while undermining the fundamental principles of education in Saskatchewan.
When asked for a statement regarding the paper, the Ministry of Education said, “The Ministry of Education looks forward to an opportunity to fully review this recently published academic document and its positions in due course. The Government of Saskatchewan believes independent schools provide parental choice with respect to children’s education.
“We will continue to respect the rights of parents to guide their child’s education.”
Watch the video above to learn more about the report and hear the reaction from the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation.
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