Sask. school divisions told to develop, implement change room policies

The provincial government has directed school divisions across Saskatchewan to develop and implement policies on change room use.

The Ministry of Education announced on Thursday it has been working with school divisions to ensure student safety and privacy “remain a top priority in Saskatchewan.” The policies will be administrative documents used by staff at schools when dealing with issues around privacy and safety, the ministry explained.

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The province’s school divisions are expected to develop the policies in consultation with both students and parents.

“All divisions must ensure that by June 30, 2025, their policy is publicly available on their website and clearly communicated to staff, parents, students and members of the public to maintain a sufficient level of transparency across the province,” the ministry said in a statement.

Everett Hindley, Saskatchewan’s education minister, said the government’s goal is to ensure the privacy, dignity and comfort of all students is respected.

“It is also important for parents/guardians to be aware of the steps being taken to ensure the comfort and safety of all students,” Hindley said in a statement.

Education Minister Everett Hindley said the government expects the policies to be developed in consultation with students and parents. (650 CKOM file photo)

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

The implementation of change room policies in Saskatchewan schools was raised during the 2024 provincial election campaign when Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe promised that his government would implement a policy barring biologically male students from using the girl’s change rooms in schools, and vice versa.

The proposed policy was roundly criticized by LGBT advocates and the Saskatchewan NDP.

After the election – which saw Moe re-elected as premier with a majority government, despite major gains by the NDP – the premier stepped back from his promise, saying he had spoken too hastily during the campaign.

In November, Moe said he would instead direct the minister of education to consult with the province’s 27 school division chairs and work towards implementing some form of change room policies.