No noon supervision in some school divisions Monday and Tuesday, STF says

Schools in some divisions will be without noon-hour supervision on Monday and Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation says.

According to the union, the latest round of its rotating sanctions will see teachers withdraw their voluntary supervision over the noon hour.

The latest round of sanctions comes after the provincial government rejected an offer by the federation to take the issues of class size and classroom complexity to binding arbitration.

Those issues – along with salary – have been at the forefront of the ongoing contract dispute, with teachers demanding the issues to be addressed in a new collective agreement. Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill and Premier Scott Moe have so far refused, saying those issues are best managed by local school divisions.

“Binding arbitration is not a consideration that the government’s looking at at this point in time,” Moe said on Thursday.

“What we would like and would ask is that the STF return to the table and let’s find a resolution to this.”

The government promised a massive funding increase in the education budget and put the increase into a four-year agreement with the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, but the federation said that money could be clawed back later if it’s not enshrined in the teachers’ contract.

“The STF is disappointed that Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill has rejected the Federation’s invitation to take part in binding arbitration on the issue of class size and complexity,” the federation said in a statement issued Friday.

“Government’s refusal to participate in arbitration means, regrettably, that job action will continue.”

On Monday, noon supervision will be withdrawn from all schools in the North East, Prairie Spirit and Regina Catholic school divisions.

The withdrawal on Tuesday will affect all schools in the Christ the Teacher Catholic, Île-à-la-Crosse, Northern Lights, Prairie South, South East Cornerstone, Sun West, Living Sky and Light of Christ Catholic divisions, along with Sakewew High School in North Battleford.

“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 federation explained.

“Although teachers, including principals and vice-principals, often provide lunch-break supervision, it is not part of their contracted professional duties. Student supervision is the responsibility of the school division and supervisors are not required to be teachers.”