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Saskatchewan

Sask. government committed to spending on faith-based schools

In the wake of a court ruling which said the Saskatchewan government must stop paying for non-Catholic students to attend separate schools, the education minister is firm about continuing to spend public money on faith-based education.

'Less money for the public school system,' says Opposition education critic

Stefani Langenegger · CBC News ·
Regina Huda School is one of 10 associate schools in Saskatchewan. Students are taught the Saskatchewan curriculum, including math, science and language arts. They also learn about Arabic and Islam. (CBC )

In the wake of a court ruling that said the Saskatchewan government must stop paying for non-Catholic students to attend separate schools, the education minister is firm about spending public money on faith-based education.

Don Morgan said the government believes it is important to support a variety of independent schools outside the public and Catholic school systems.

Education Minister Don Morgan said the government is committed to paying for faith-based schools. (Adam Hunter/CBC)

"We have an obligation to fund students in our province," Morgan told reporters. "We believe in having some options available for them. Some of those options are faith-based."

Saskatchewan is one of three provinces with a separate school system and one of five that pays for independent schools. 

Qualified Independent schools must meet specific criteria to receive 50 per cent of the average per-student spending from the provincial government. Government funding for these schools began in 2012. (Government of Saskatchewan)

The province will spend just over $27 million during the fiscal year 2016-17 for students who attend independent schools.

Associate schools in Saskatchewan get 80 per cent of of the eligible per-student amount. Government funding for these schools began in the mid-1990s. (Government of Saskatchewan)

The majority of those schools are religious-based, whether for Seventh-day Adventist or Muslim students. Depending on the criteria they meet, the schools receive between 50 and 80 per cent of the average per-student funding ($10,990).

Historical high schools were created when public high schools were not always available. They receive 70 per cent of the average per-student amount. This funding began in the early 1990s. (Government of Saskatchewan)

The Opposition says the public education system ought to be properly funded before money is diverted to independent schools.

Education critic Carla Beck says the more money that is diverted to independent schools, the less there is for public education. (CBC)

"I think the more that we divide up education [spending], certainly means that there is less money for the public school system," said Carla Beck, the NDP's education critic.

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