Saskatchewan government says change room policies will be left to school divisions

REGINA — Months after Premier Scott Moe talked about instituting a firm policy on school change rooms, the Saskatchewan government has decided to leave the issue to school divisions.

The government announced Thursday all divisions will be expected to have a publicly available policy on change room usage that upholds “the privacy, dignity and comfort of all students.” There were no specific guidelines attached.

“Through our consultations, many school divisions informed us that they are in the best position to make these decisions at a local level,” Education Minister Everett Hindley said.

Premier Scott Moe promised in last year’s election campaign that he would make it a first order of business to ban “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls.”

He later said he spoke too soon and promised to consult with school boards on the issue.

Moe made the change room pledge after he said he’d learned of a complaint about two biological boys using a girls locker room at a school in the southeastern part of the province.

Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck accused Moe of stoking fear and division with voters and putting vulnerable kids more at risk.

The Saskatchewan School Boards Association said Thursday it welcomes the ability to make decisions at the local level, and divisions already have policies about student privacy and safety, although they may be more general in nature.

“They would certainly have policies around safe schools and around ensuring the safety and inclusivity of our facilities, which would apply here”, Shawn Davidson, the association’s president, said.

The education minister would not say whether the government would approve if a school division allowed transgender students to use a change room that did not match their gender at birth.

“We want to ensure again that every student feels comfortable in (a) change room,” Hindley said.

“What I was told is that, by and large, school divisions have been able to find accommodations that make every student feel safe and accommodated.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2025.

The Canadian Press