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Regina chapter opposes Bill 63 and $60 million cut to provincial education budget

The Regina chapter was at the Students Mobilizing Against Cuts (SMAC) ‘Education Counts’ rally on May 3.


The outreach had noted, “This invitation is open to all Saskatchewan residents who care about our future. Significant budget cuts and the passing of Bill 63 will have an impact on our children’s education. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers. Bring your children on Wednesday, May 3rd after school to the front of the Saskatchewan Legislature and let’s give our children a voice for their future, and let the MLAs see who their choices are impacting. All children have a right to quality education and their teachers deserve the resources to give them that.”


It also noted, “Students Mobilizing Against Cuts has organized ‘Five Days Against Cuts’ in which they are highlighting the adverse effects of this 2017-18 austerity budget. Each day focuses on a different sector (Post Secondary Education, Libraries, Pre-K to 12, STC & Privatization). Each day will be filled with a variety of events which could include: rallies, teach-ins, workshops, programming, art-builds and other activities.”


Bill 63 allows the provincial Minister of Education to give written directions to school boards and force them to take any necessary steps necessary to comply with provincial government direction.


The NDP says, “The damage caused by the minister’s attempts to take power out of the hands of school boards and trustees will only be made worse, as a result of the $60-million the Sask. Party is cutting out of children’s classrooms. Moreover, the Minister now has the ability to direct how these cuts are implemented.”


Yesterday, Global News reported, “Protests and rallies held to halt Bill 63, which amends the Education Act, weren’t enough to stop changes from going through.”


That article adds, “As a parent, Michelle Grodecki worries the bill strips away school division autonomy. ‘The funding cuts that are coming, the school divisions have no say over anymore’, she said. Grodecki also believes the bill creates uncertainty within the school system. ‘This is the end of education as we know it. You walk into my child’s school and they don’t know what’s coming, you see parents who have no idea what this is going to mean for them, talking with school board trustees, they don’t know’, she said.”


The four Council of Canadians chapters in Saskatchewan – Regina, Quill Plains (Wynyard), Saskatoon and Prince Albert – have all been actively opposing the Wall government’s budget tabled on March 22, as well as Bill 40 which allows for the privatization of 49 per cent of a Crown corporation without without requiring a vote of support from the people of the province.


For more on SMAC actions, please click here.


#EducationCounts #skpoli