Should parents contact the Ministry of Education if they disagree with a school division’s decision about their child’s educational program?
In Saskatchewan, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K – 12) education is a shared responsibility between the Ministry of Education, and locally elected boards of education. The Ministry of Education has the responsibility to (Section 3 of The Education Act):
Establish goals for the educational system
Distribute funding to school divisions
Distribute recommendations and advice on the management of schools and school divisions
Establish rules authorizing what courses students need to take to graduate
Provide curriculum guides pertaining to these courses
Provide lists of curriculum resource materials for teachers
Make rules and ensure that teachers have the right qualifications to provide the best education for students.
So, it is highly unlikely that the Ministry of Education will be able to help you directly with a programming issue for your child. They will recommend that you need to go back to the school division and discuss this issue with the school division team. Knowing the diverse roles and responsibilities of different organizations can help you know who to access to effectively address your concern(s).
About Elaine Caswell
At Elaine’s core, she is a teacher. Throughout her diverse roles as a classroom teacher, school principal, guidance counselor, superintendent, Director of Education and Director of Children’s Services at the Ministry of Education, Elaine has taught, mentored, built strong relationships with families and facilitated individual, group and systemic change.
About Louise Burridge
Louise is an occupational therapist. As one of the first occupational therapists to work in Saskatchewan schools, Louise has worked with numerous families to foster growth and development, facilitate accessibility and support inclusive education. Louise has continued this work as a Student Services Coordinator, at the Ministry of Education, and Director of Professional Practice with the Saskatchewan Society of Occupational Therapists. She now owns and operates OuTcomes Therapy in Regina.