A draft of the school year calendar for 2013-14 school year for Battlefords and area students has been developed to reflect the provincial government's new directive for all schools to provide 950 hours of instructional time per year.
The calendar, which will apply to Living Sky School Division and Light of Christ Catholic School Division, includes a school day of 312 minutes.
Randy Fox, director of education for Living Sky School Division says the draft has been developed with input from teachers, support staff and school community councils.
"This will be a change for many schools," he told Living Sky School board members at their regular meeting Feb. 27.
Some schools have had below 900 hours, particularly some rural elementary schools.
"The draft allows for an appropriate number of professional development days while still meeting the new regulations that call for 950 hours of instructional time, "said Fox. "The draft allows for a February and an Easter break, which was the option preferred by our school community councils and staff."
Fox also said approved curriculum-related field trips are considered instructional time.
Legislative and regulatory amendments that set instructional hours in a school year at 950 were proclaimed Jan. 1. School divisions are required to submit their calendar year plans to the Ministry of Education by May 1, with classes scheduled after Labour Day and ending by June 30.
Education Minister Russ Marchuk has said the changes will help to ensure all Saskatchewan students benefit from more consistent instructional hours and will bring Saskatchewan in line with its western Canadian counterparts.
The Provincial Auditor raised concerns in 2011 that Saskatchewan school divisions do not offer a minimum amount of instructional time resulting in inconsistency in instructional hours. The resultant regulatory changes were developed in consultation with education stakeholders. Consultations began in December 2011 and included the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, the League of Education Administrators, Directors and Superintendents, the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation and the Saskatchewan Association of School Business
