STF reveals more sanctions to take place Wednesday across Sask.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is extending its sanctions against the Saskatchewan government into Wednesday.

On Friday, the federation announced that teachers in some divisions would withdraw supervision of extracurricular activities and lunch hours for one day on Monday. That was followed Saturday by an announcement about similar job actions the teachers would be taking Tuesday.

On Sunday morning, the STF revealed that the same sanctions would be levied for one day Wednesday at a number of schools around the province.

Teachers are to withdraw supervision of extracurricular activities at schools in the Île à la Crosse, Prairie Valley, Good Spirit, Living Sky and Light of Christ Catholic school divisions, as well as at all Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre campuses and at Sakewew High School in North Battleford.

“Withdrawal of extracurricular activities means that STF members who provide voluntary leadership of all extracurricular programs, including sports, non-curricular drama, music and band, science clubs, intramurals, rehearsals, student leadership activities, planning for graduation celebrations, book fairs, and other clubs and activities, will not be available,” the STF said in a media release.

The federation noted the withdrawal covers activities that take place before school, during lunch hour, after school and in the evening.

Lunch-hour supervision won’t be provided at schools in the Regina Public, Christ the Teacher Catholic, Île à la Crosse, Prairie Valley and Sun West school divisions.

“Withdrawal of noon-hour supervision means STF members will not be available to supervise students who are eating lunch at school or taking part in noon-hour activities,” the release explained.

“Although teachers, including principals and vice-principals, often provide lunch break supervision, it is done on a voluntary basis. Student supervision is the responsibility of the school division.”

STF president Samantha Becotte is to provide an update on negotiations and job action to parents and caregivers during an information session on Zoom on Monday at 7 p.m. Space is limited to 5,000 registrants, and registration is available on the STF website.

Contract negotiations between the provincial government and the teachers’ union collapsed Feb. 13, prompting the STF to resume the sanctions it has imposed.

Becotte has said the union wants to resume negotiating, but the teachers have made it clear that their bargaining committee won’t be going back to the table until the government’s committee is authorized to discuss and bargain on class size and complexity.

After the collapse of talks earlier this month, both sides accused the other of walking away from the table.

While the STF wants class size and classroom complexity included in the new contract, the government says those issues are best dealt with by local school divisions.

The union also has raised concerns about violence in classrooms, with teachers sharing stories of abuse at the hands of students. The STF said that’s a symptom of underfunding of the education system by the provincial government.