Following the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation’s announcement that they have withdrawn extracurricular activities from Monday through Thursday and noon-hour supervision in six teachers’ associations, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said he was disappointed by the decision.

“While it was heartening to see teachers, students and parents work together to ensure some activities continued despite the STF’s sanctions, we want to ensure students aren’t negatively impacted any further.”

Cockrill said that work is underway with the teachers’ union to find a path forward.’

“Not only have we moved on many of the items that the STF has asked for, but we are also prepared to create an accountability framework connected to the historic multiyear funding agreement,” he said. “If the union leadership wants teachers to be a part of that process, they need to stop focusing their efforts on disrupting learning and cancelling activities and start focusing their efforts on bargaining. That is the same message I delivered to union leadership earlier this week.”

Cockrill added that he will have more to say next week about how the government is working to ensure that students get the opportunities they so deserve, including graduation.

On Monday, noon-hour supervision will be withdrawn in Holy Family, Holy Trinity, North East, Prairie Spirit, Prince Albert and Area, and Tri-West.

The STF said more than 65,000 emails had been delivered to provincial cabinet ministers Wednesday as part of their budget-day job actions.

Teachers continue to ask for classroom size and complexity concerns to be in their contract with the province, a stance the province hasn’t budged on either.