Sask. school boards want gender and naming policy paused, association president says

The outcry against the province’s new gender and naming policy continues, with this round of criticism coming from the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA).

SSBA president Jaimie Smith-Windsor said school boards are asking Education Minister Dustin Duncan for the policy’s implementation to be paused and for an external review of it to be completed.

“We haven’t heard from the minister yet on this,” she said. “We’re hopeful that he sees it’s prudent to pause to consider the evidence-based … consultation that should go into a big policy shift like this our province.”

Smith-Windsor added they do their best work as a sector when they work together and collaborate, while drawing on expect advice and using partners to ensure an informed policy shift.

On Tuesday morning, Duncan announced:

• Parents will have to be notified when sexual health education is happening and what will be included, and parents will have the ability to take their kids out of the class if they wish;
• No third parties will be allowed to be brought in for sexual health education presentations, excepting from the ministry or Saskatchewan Health Authority. School divisions also will have to pause working with third parties on sex education programming as well; and
• Parents will have to consent before a requested name and pronoun change from a student will be honoured in the school.

Smith-Windsor said Tuesday’s announcement was every unexpected and out of the blue for school boards.

“We’re having to react and respond just before school start-up and that is presenting challenges to boards as they prepare to welcome back (all) students,” Smith-Windsor added.

According to her, the SSBA is hearing concerns about student safety and security from school boards.

“(They’re telling us) some of the issue around the dialogue that this policy shift has stirred up in their communities,” Smith-Windsor said.

In normal times, the SSBA president said extensive consultations are undertaken, adding when curriculum changes happen, they’re informed by expertise, solid research and good governance.

“That process is … slow. It’s intentional and it involves consultation with all of our members,” she added.

School boards are concerned these sudden policy changes are contrary to the legal rights of students and are detrimental to their safety, she said.

“We are very much centred on the idea that the safety, the rights, the belonging and the inclusion of all students is and needs to be at the forefront of all policies,” Smith-Windsor added. “Boards have sound (policies) on parent and family engagement, for example, so parents and families are highly respected and are already welcomed and embraced as full partners in our education system.”

She said she believes casting doubt on some of that two weeks before schools are to open really creates a climate of mistrust, adding school boards are just meeting right now after the summer break.

“Divisive ideological policy shifts or politicization of education is not on their top list of things to do, but now they’ll be at the table discussing what they can do,” she added.

Smith-Windsor said she believes students should have a voice in the matter.

“I think sometimes that gets lost,” she added.

On Thursday, a Saskatoon mom of two transgender kids said she was planning to launch a human rights complaint against the Saskatchewan government over the policy changes.

Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Education said it was not considering pausing the implementation of the policies or any further policy changes.

Editor’s note: this story has been updated to include the response from the ministry