With the new school year right around the corner, the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation is once again reiterating its members have concerns about classroom funding.
President Patrick Maze says their recent survey constantly showed one thing that shouldn’t be happening, and wouldn’t be, if the government gave teachers what they needed.
96 percent say they have used their own money for teaching activities and materials and Maze said “half of the respondents indicated that they spend over 5-hundred dollars at the start of the school year in August and September, in order to properly outfit their classroom.”
Maze says it trickles down to parents as well.
“We’re hearing of all kinds of fees for things like cultural fees for students who are enrolled in a french immersion class, welding fees and physical education fees, just all kinds of fees that are being tacked onto the education of our students.”
Maze recognizes government has a tough job to do when it comes to balancing the books, but he says it comes down to choices and that education should be a major priority with the appropriate resources being given because education is the future.
(CKRM)