The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the provincial government to introduce a plan for the safe reopening of schools in the fall.
Some of their recommendations include the hiring of additional teachers and EAs to help limit the number of overcrowded classrooms.
NDP Education Critic Carla Beck says that while there is no set date for when kids will return to school, there needs to be a plan in place.
“Both teachers and students, and of course parents, are looking for assurances that when students do go back, that those resources will be available, be that teachers, EAs or cleaning staff within the schools,” said Beck. “And that the funding will be forthcoming from the provincial government.
Beck says that the government is no longer keeping track of maximum class sizes and does not publicly report on how many kids are in classrooms.
She adds that packed classrooms in the COVID-19 era just wont work.
“We have seen classroom sizes grow over the last number of years,” said Beck. “There are routinely classes with 30 or 40 students in them right around the province. That won’t be something that will be sustainable in any scenario in the fall.”
With a new four-year contract now ratified, the NDP are also asking for the government to fully commit to fund the pay increase, and not make school divisions have to cover the tab.