Unseen Impacts: The Reality of School Exclusion for Students with Disabilities in Saskatchewan
- Katherine Andersen
- Dec 9
- 2 min read
December 9, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Inclusion Saskatchewan Releases Report Documenting the Exclusion of 1,250-1,350 Saskatchewan Students with Disabilities in the 2024-25 School Year.
[Saskatoon, SK] On December 9, 2025, Inclusion Saskatchewan released a report titled “Unseen Impacts: The Reality of School Exclusion for Disabled Students in Saskatchewan.” This report unveils the estimated number of students labelled with intensive support needs in the province who were excluded from school due to their disability-related needs.
In the Fall of 2025, Inclusion Saskatchewan made requests under the Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (LA FOIP) which revealed that about 1,250 to 1,350 disabled students across the province were excluded from attending school full time in the 2024-25 school year, despite the province’s commitments to inclusive education and student rights. This data was previously unavailable due to the province’s lack of framework to report or monitor school exclusions, and highlights the systemic patterns that undermine equity, learning outcomes, and legal obligations.
Key findings include:
About 1 in every 9 students who have intensive support needs were excluded from school on a part- or full-time basis last year.
Student exclusions included instances of part-time attendance through altered school day schedules, temporary or medical exclusions (often used inappropriately), and full-time exclusion based on the students’ disability related support needs.
Exclusions were primarily attributed to funding decisions, lack of staffing, behavioural support gaps, and barriers in accessible transportation.
The full report can be read in the document below:
For further information, please contact:
Christina Martens-Funk, Chief Executive Officer Brittany Acton, Director of Initiatives
306-955-3344, ext. 129 306-955-3344, ext. 127
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