Inclusion, Diversity and Human Rights
The Inclusion, Diversity and Human Rights pages will continue to be updated as new resources, learning opportunities and networking opportunities are developed. Items added will be identified as “NEW” for the first six weeks they are posted on the web pages. Please check back often to see new additions.
Some of these resources are from third party organizations and curated by the STF to support members. At the time of posting, all organizations and links were reviewed by the STF and selected for the organization’s reputation, authority in an area of work and alignment with the STF’s mandate, vision, mission and values. This list of resources is regularly reviewed and updated; however, the STF does not own, or have authority over, the content on the third parties’ websites and is not responsible for ensuring that access to these resources will be secure, timely or error-free.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is committed to promoting dialogue and action on inclusion, diversity and human rights. Teachers live and work in classrooms, schools and communities, and are catalysts for change. By supporting teachers in their professional roles and personal development, the STF supports a culture of learning and growth that benefits children and youth, as well as society as a whole.
This commitment is evident in documents written by teachers and for teachers, including the strategic goals and social justice policies identified in Direction 2025.
Federation commitments and policies are grounded in human rights legislation, which provides protections that are based on fundamental and inalienable rights. These contain protections from discrimination based on certain prohibited grounds, and include: religion, creed, marital status, family status, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, color, ancestry, nationality, place of origin, race or perceived race, receipt of public assistance and gender identity.
Social Justice, Inclusion and Equity
Social justice is a philosophical framework which recognizes the dynamics of oppression in society, is a fluid expression of a society’s collectively negotiated ethical and moral beliefs with respect to access to and distribution of resources and power, and where access to resources and power are recognized as grounded in democratic principles and collective social responsibility.
Social inclusion is the recognition that every individual in society has the inherent human right to be fully included in all economic, social, cultural and political institutions.
Equity and equitable treatment involves acknowledging diversity, recognizing and nurturing our differences, and eliminating the barriers that prevent the full participation of all peoples.
Systemic barriers generally refer to institutionalized beliefs expressed through policies and practices that have an exclusionary impact on groups and individuals.
The well-being of a child or youth requires that each individual is respected, secure and safe, has access to basic needs and grows up in an environment where the individual’s spiritual, mental, physical and emotional needs are met.
The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children and youth are entitled to universal human rights within our states and societies. While ratified by Canada in 1991, the Convention’s comprehensive and widely accepted provisions have yet to be fully entrenched in federal or provincial legislation, policies, programs, services and practices.
Social determinants of health are the primary factors that shape the overall health and well-being of individuals in society. These are the living conditions people experience such as the quality of the communities, housing, work, health and social service agencies and educational institutions with which they interact.
Teachers Providing Intensive Supports for Students
Intensive supports include a range of educational and human resource interventions to optimize student learning achievement that may be, or have been, impacted by cognitive, behavioural, social, emotional or other learning situations.
Culture refers to worldviews, ideologies, knowledge systems, beliefs, customs, understandings and languages that are acquired by individuals as members of cultural groups. Culture and language are deeply connected to individuals’ identities and language is a crucial medium through which culture is expressed and transmitted.
Education Through Indigenous Worldviews
Education through Indigenous worldviews cultivates holistic understanding of knowledge, the land, communities, and all relations while emphasizing that Indigenous ways of knowing are foundational to teaching and learning.
Queer identity refers to the diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer plus additional individuals who identify in this group). Gender, gender expression, and sexual diversity are inherent to individuals’ identities.
Equitable Leadership for Teachers
Educational leaders are individuals who perform, or aspire to perform, formal leadership roles, responsibilities and duties within the education sector, access to which is not limited by gender, race or class. Equitable leadership can be understood in two ways: leading with an equitable mindset and equitable opportunities for leadership. Leading with an equitable mindset is being self-aware of one’s own biases and privileges that may impact one’s decision making to ensure that all students and staff have choice, opportunity and access. Equitable opportunities for leadership are about reducing or eliminating systemic barriers and providing supports in order to overcome them.