NDP, parents call for provincial funding after EA layoffs

Erin Gerwing fears that her son Luca will struggle in class without the support of an educational assistant.

Gerwing’s son is in Grade 2 at Silverspring School in Saskatoon, and has autism, ADHD, and hyperlexia. She said an EA plays a crucial role in her son’s educational success.

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“He has the potential to be anything in the world, but he won’t be able to reach that potential without the support through school and without being taught how to be a member of society,” she told reporters Monday, standing beside other parents at an event organized by the Saskatchewan NDP.

“He has the potential to be anything in the world, but he won’t be able to reach that potential without the support through school,” said Erin Gerwing. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

“If he is left in a classroom with no EA, then he will be disruptive to the class, and that ruins the education experience for all of the other children.”

Saskatoon Public Schools said it has been forced to lay off 80 temporary educational assistants by Friday after not receiving funding from Indigenous Services Canada.

The federal funding comes from the Jordan’s Principal Fund, a child-first legal rule in Canada that ensures First Nations children receive necessary government services without delays.

According to Charlene Scrimshaw, the school division’s deputy director of education, the division applied for between $5 million and $7 million through the fund.

Gerwing said some teachers are already “drowning” in classrooms with up to 30 kids, educating without the help of librarians, psychologists or counselors.

“We shouldn’t have been ever relying on the federal government,” Gerwing said.

While her son’s EA is not part of the school division’s layoffs this week, she said she’s not certain he will not have the same support next year.

“Consistency of care is everything with kids,” she said.

NDP calls for immediate funding

On Monday, NDP education critic Matt Love called on the provincial government to address the federal shortfall.

“Our school board shouldn’t have to rely on back-filled federal dollars to provide adequate educational staff in our schools,” Love said.

“Our province is last in the nation in how we fund our schools on a per-student basis; last in Canada with the amount of money that we spend supporting our classrooms.”

Love said the province should invest more in classrooms through the upcoming provincial budget.

The NDP MLA recognized the backlog of funding from Ottawa, but pointed to provinces like Newfoundland that filled in positions impacted by the backlog.

A statement from Patty Hajdu, Canada’s minister of Indigenous services, said the federal government is implementing new ways to process requests to address increased demand and to expedite the decision-making process.

“In light of the increased volume, the Government of Canada has made changes to operating procedures to make sure requests align with the long-term sustainability of Jordan’s Principle,” the statement read.

“These changes provide further clarity and consistency around the services available for First Nations children through Jordan’s Principle, as well as the required documentation that is needed when processing requests.”

Hajdu said Jordan’s Principle funding should only be used when necessary, and shouldn’t negate provincial or territorial responsibilities.

In 2024, the provincial government invested $3.3 billion overall in education, which included $2.2 billion in operating funding for Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions.

650 CKOM reached out to Saskatchewan’s ministry of education for comment.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Shane Clausing and Lara Fominoff