Home / Education / Saskatchewan Teachers Demand Action on Classroom Safety
Saskatchewan Teachers Demand Action on Classroom Safety
27 Oct
Summary
- Classroom complexity and violence are significant ongoing issues for teachers.
- Recruitment and retention challenges persist, especially in major cities.
- New contract negotiations are in preliminary stages and expected through fall.
Educators convened at the Queensbury Convention Centre for their annual convention, concurrently facing renewed contract negotiations. Key priorities for the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) include addressing classroom complexity, violence, and increasing class sizes, issues identical to those from previous talks. The STF president emphasized the need for these concerns to be resolved in the new contract.
The province's Minister of Education acknowledged the escalating concern over classroom safety, noting that efforts are underway to develop a violence threat risk assessment. He also pointed to recruitment and retention of teachers as a long-standing challenge, particularly in Regina and Saskatoon, attributing difficulties to the province's economic growth.
Ensuring teachers have adequate support and resources to remain in Saskatchewan classrooms is a central focus for the STF. The government stated that bargaining is in its initial phase, with both the teachers' bargaining committee and the government's trustee committee actively engaged in discussions. These talks are anticipated to extend throughout the fall.
