PRINCE ALBERT — The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division board of education officially endorsed the priority actions and milestones for the 2020-23 Provincial Education Plan (PEP) at their regular meeting on Monday.
The board’s endorsement is dependent on the ministry’s ability to deliver sufficient, stable and predictable funding to help implement the new plan.
Director of Education Robert Bratvold said funding has been a topic of conversation throughout the plan development process. The Provincial Education Council, the Provincial Education Plan Implementation Team and individual boards like Sask Rivers have all had discussions about the issue.
“Planning goals, and priorities are crucially important. Let's focus on the things that are going to have the greatest impact, let's set some measures and targets that are appropriate, but also let's make sure we have got some funding to support that plan,” Bratvold said.
“The board's decision last night (Monday) to have a qualified endorsement on the priorities and milestones I think fits within that trend. You need to have sufficient, stable, predictable funding in order to put the plan into place.”
The Provincial Education Council requested the board endorse the plan’s goals, but not the plan itself. Bratvold said they endorsed the entire plan because they believe it’s going to be effective, provided they have enough provincial funding to properly implement it.
The new education plan will be a living document that will be revised and updated as necessary through to 2030, according to the ministry.
The new endorsement was conceptualized by trustee Grant Gustafson, who added the caveat about funding to the endorsement which will be attached to the letter to the province.
The concern about proper funding was echoed by the Prince Albert Catholic School Division board when they made a similar endorsement in January.
“It's a fairly consistent concern,” Bratvold said. “Obviously, I haven't heard from every school division in the province but the directors of education have kind of conveyed that.”
On Monday, the Board discussed whether they would completely endorse the plan if funding conditions were in place to ensure these actions and milestones could be implemented in rich and meaningful ways.
The Provincial Education Council has provided areas of focus for the upcoming plan. The council is made up of educational partners who are not part of the education sector.
Bratvold will not be part of the Implementation Team due to his upcoming retirement. The division is in the process of finalizing who will be on team.
“It is not expected I will be one of them,” Bratvold said. “I am retiring at the end of this year so that excludes me. Still, I will be part of the Implementation Team but I will be looking for ways to support some of the colleagues who are going to step up and be leaders for priority actions.”
Operational structure membership includes directors of education from the province, First Nation and Metis education authorities, two members of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) and senior officials from the Ministry of Education.
The Interim Provincial Plan was released in August, 2021. The one-year interim plan will be in place until the 10-year plan is completed. The provincial-level plan was originally expected to be released in June 2021.
The Ministry is currently working under an Interim Education Plan that began in 2021-2022 and has been extended for another year.
The new long-term plan will run from 2023 to 2030, instead of 2020 to 2030, which will affect what education goals the ministry sets. One key aspect included as part of the interim education plan is mental health.
The Provincial Education Council has provided areas of focus for the upcoming plan. The council is made up of educational partners who are not part of the education sector.
The new plan will work from a provincial level and then flow down to school division strategic plans and school level plans.
The Provincial Education Plan's framework provides the basis for the province’s education plan. It was originally released for feedback in 2019 after the Education Summit held by former Education Minister Gord Wyant.
The provincial-level plan was originally expected to be released in June 2021.
A response to the endorsement request has a deadline on Feb. 17.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
