Independent schools to receive funding
By Frank Flegel
REGINA — Some Saskatchewan
independent schools, including some additional faith-based schools,
this fall will begin receive funding from the provincial government,
the government announced in January.
Kevin Gabel,
director of Independent Schools and Home-Based Education, said in doing
so, Saskatchewan will join the other western provinces.
“We’re
the only province that doesn’t fund some of these schools.”
Saskatchewan has 57 independent
schools in four categories: 10 associate faith-based; five faith-based
historical high schools; 38 unfunded, about 30 of which are faith-based;
and the remainder are alternative or special needs schools established
to look after wards of the province or other purposes. Some in the
latter category have negotiated contracts with government and do not
receive legislated specific per student grants. Associate independent
faith-based schools and historical faith-based high schools have received
some form of grants since the early 1990s.
Associate independent schools are associated with a school board and their teachers are employed by that school board.
“They are also subject
to all the directives of that school board so they give up some of their
independence,” said Gabel.
They all teach the Saskatchewan curriculum, said Gabel, and have a faith-based
component to them. He gave Regina Christian School and Huda (Muslim) school
as examples of associate faith-based schools.
Most but not all independent
schools are faith-based. Prairie Sky School in Regina, which is eco-centred,
said Gabel, and Montessori school which has some philosophical differences
could be eligible for the new grants if they apply.
The independent schools that now receive per-student grants receive either 70 or 80 per cent of the grants received by students in the regular Catholic and public school systems. The new program announced by the government will provide 50 per cent to schools that apply and meet the criteria.
“I would suggest there are eight schools that, if they apply, would
be eligible for the new grants and perhaps another four that would be very
close,” said Gabel. The grants would not be automatically paid,
as Gabel said several times; they must apply to the Education Ministry
and be subject to inspection to make sure they meet the criteria.
The schools that apply must employ professional teachers as defined in
legislation, they must be non-profit, teach the Saskatchewan Curriculum,
be subject to the student assessment program, as required of all schools,
and be subject to inspection by the Ministry of Education. The new program
will be effective for the new school year, which begins September 2012.
He emphasized, too, that grants would be paid only for Saskatchewan-resident
students, as current policy applies to all schools.
Gabel said the independent
schools who receive no provincial funding prefer to go their own way. “They want to teach their own curriculum, they
may have philosophical differences or don’t agree with our curriculum.” However,
all independent schools are subject to Ministry of Education annual inspections
to ensure the welfare of the students and compliance with provincial
regulations.
The NDP Opposition has criticized the new program, arguing that it could be taking money away from the regular school system. The government says that’s not so.
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