Schools around the Battlefords and Meadow Lake are under work to rule for the next week. (File Photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Work to Rule

Work to Rule leads to shorter school days

Apr 8, 2024 | 4:15 PM

Students in Saskatchewan will have shorter class schedules during the week-long work to rule action due to the ongoing stalemate between the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the Moe government.

“There’s a full withdrawal of extracurricular activities and noon-hour supervision,” said Kaitlin Harman, communications officer for Northwest School Division.

Students will have a condensed day and will include an earlier end to the day.

“That’s our plan for this week and then the STF announced that these sanctions are now indefinite, and we don’t know when they will end,” she said.

“We’re carrying on with this plan for now and I guess waiting to hear more.”

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According to Jeremy Cockrill, Minister for Education and Battlefords MLA, in an interview with battlefordsNOW last week following the STF announcement, it was a “disappointing day to see the teachers’ union leadership move the goal posts again.”

“We’ve been working to find solutions to increase investments in the classrooms and providing some predictability for multiple years going forward on that investment,” he said.

“Most recently, we’ve proposed a framework that teachers can have direct voice into how classroom support dollars are spent in their local school division and the STF leadership has refused to recognize that as a solution.”

According to both the websites for the Light of Christ and Living Sky School Divisions, the drop off and pick up times for students are 15 minutes to ensure there is proper supervision available and all extra-curricular activities are suspended.

At Living Sky School Division, lunch hour has also been shortened to 30 minutes and supervision will be provided by volunteers and support staff. They recommend if students can have lunch at home to do so until the end of work to rule. Light of Christ asks that students bring lunches they may eat at their desks throughout the instructional day.

Meanwhile, Sakewew High School is taking a similar approach to the school boards in how the days will be run.

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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