EAST CENTRAL — Teachers will cease to do any volunteer or extracurricular activities as part of their job action against the provincial government.
The action, which starts Thursday, March 12, will also see teachers arrive at school no more than 15 minutes prior to the start of the school day and leave no later than 15 minutes after the conclusion of the day.
“We recognize this causes uncertainty, disappointment and frustration for students, parents and teachers,” said Patrick Maze, the president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. “We had all hoped to avoid this situation. We ask for continued support in urging government to fix the problems its underfunding has created for students across the province.”
Teachers will continue to provide student supervision such as recess, lunch or bus supervision.
The teachers approved of this type of job action through a vote done on Feb. 10 and 11. Teachers voted 90.2 per cent in favour of sanctions.
"As a result of these sanctions, Horizon School Division will be cancelling all extracurricular activities effective Thursday, March 12 and until further notice," Kevin Garinger, the Horizon School Division’s director of education, said in a letter to parents. "This includes practices, games, tournaments, school clubs and any other extracurricular activity. Any upcoming parent-teacher interviews will proceed as planned."
In his weekly newsletter, Garinger said the federation has promised to give them at least 48 business hours notice of any sanctions that might occur.
“We plan to establish a ‘Communication Centre’ at our central office to provide information to parents and caregivers in the event of job action and the centre would be accessed through our central office at 306-682-2558,” he said.
“We know that our children’s interests are extremely important in the minds of our teachers. We continue to be very aware that the processes involved in negotiations are business matters and fall within the legal mandates of the parties involved.”
