The provincial government has introduced legislation to adjust the start of the school year in time for next fall, considering that Labour Day in 2015 is on Sept. 7.

A previous change to the legislation mandated that the school year begin after Labour Day, to provide certainty for families planning their summers.

When it was noted that — for 2015 — the rule would lead to a Sept. 8 start, the province decided that was too far into the month. The later start would have led to more instruction time added later in the school year.

Now, for 2015, school will start on Sept. 1, the Tuesday before the Labour Day long weekend.

"This change is responsive to the needs of school divisions while also maintaining a consistent standard for the school year across the province," Education Minister Don Morgan said in a statement Tuesday.

The necessary changes to the legislation, to make that happen, are now before the legislature.

Teachers said Tuesday they were pleased with the government's action.

"We see the introduction of this legislation as a first step in addressing some of the issues impacting teacher and student time," Randy Cline, vice-president of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, said Tuesday. "This change allows school boards to be more flexible in creating their calendars in order to reflect local needs."