Get Informed

Education funding has not kept up with the needs of Saskatchewan students. In fact, spending has fallen dramatically.

Nine years ago Saskatchewan was first in Canada in per-student funding. According to Statistics Canada, the province’s per student funding in 2015-16 was $16,235, when adjusted for inflation. By 2021-22 it had fallen to $12,873. Based on the most recent provincial budget, the STF projects a further decline to $11,474 per student in 2024-25.

Meanwhile, the number of students keeps growing. In 2023-24, Saskatchewan experienced the largest student enrolment growth in more than 20 years. Total provincial enrolment reached 195,582, an increase of more than 5,600 students, or 3 percent, compared to 2022-23.

And while the number of students has steadily increased, the number of teachers has remained flat for most of a decade. From 2016-17 to 2023-24, student enrolment grew by 8 percent while the number of classroom teachers increased by only 10 teachers, or 0.1 percent.

There are more students in our classrooms than ever before and their needs are more complex. Teachers are doing everything they can to fill the gaps – but larger classrooms, insufficient numbers of support staff and fewer professional specialists such as psychologists, English as an additional language teachers and speech language pathologists means teachers must take on multiple roles to support students.

The STF’s Education in Saskatchewan – Facts and Statistics sheet provides accurate, updated facts for your information.

Parents and caregivers are important voices when it comes to furthering the conversation around publicly funded education. You can do your part by:

• Inviting other parents to consider how their child’s school experience compares with their own. For example, ask how many students are in their child’s class, how long are waitlists for assessments or specialized, professional supports, or how many grades are in multi-graded classrooms.
• Sharing your family’s education experience on social media and liking, sharing and commenting on posts from the STF’s social media accounts and other organizations who support publicly funded education.
• Asking knowledgeable questions of MLA and school board trustee candidates during the campaign period ahead of provincial and local elections.
• Supporting provincial and school trustee candidates who have an understanding of the challenges facing prekindergarten to Grade 12 education and are committed to responding to the needs of students and teachers.