SASKATOON — The issue of students with complex needs being sent home has raised questions about whether it is appropriate to integrate them into regular classrooms, whether that approach has failed, and whether it would be more effective for schools to return to separate classrooms with specialized staff who can provide appropriate learning tools and address behavioural needs.
The government, the Opposition, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, parents and Saskatoon Public Schools Division have offered differing views on what Saskatchewan NDP education shadow minister Matt Love described as “cruel, callous and illegal,” saying the practice violates the Education Act and the province’s Human Rights Code.
Love brought the issue to light on Monday after data released by Inclusion Saskatchewan last month showed up to 1,300 students with complex needs were sent home or sometimes asked not to attend school due to staffing shortages, underfunding and a lack of support and resources.
The government, in a statement, acknowledged the province’s school system is facing challenges and pressures. At the same time, it said it remains committed to ensuring every student has access to education and the opportunity to succeed by taking steps to ease classroom pressure, expanding specialized support classrooms, funding more teachers for students with complex needs, and allocating a record $2.4 billion operating budget to Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions for the 2025-2026 school year.
STF president Samantha Becotte told SaskToday that schools across the province are busy following the holiday break, with elementary students readjusting to classroom routines while high school students prepare for finals or provincial examinations. She added that while situations in some classrooms have become increasingly challenging, there have been some improvements through the addition of complexity teachers. However, she said this is only a first step in improving public education in the province.
“There's definitely a lot of challenges that still exist and remain, but as we said several times, we know that all of the challenges can’t be solved within one year or within our perspective in the collective bargaining agreement, but we're going to continue to advocate to ensure that all students get the support they need to be successful in school,” Becotte said.
Funding decline
Becotte said underfunding in public education, particularly over the past decade, has contributed to many of the challenges facing school divisions as student populations grow. Since school divisions can no longer raise local education taxes, they are now entirely reliant on provincial funding.
“We have seen over the past decade, up until last year's provincial education budget, a decline of per-student funding year after year, and as we see our population growing, we see a more diverse population and more students with additional needs, whether those are academic, social, behavioural or emotional. We're not seeing the funding match those needs,” Becotte said.
“As funding declines, [school] divisions have to make difficult decisions about where they are allocating resources. Before that decade, back in 2011, divisions could set their own local mill rates or education tax rates. If there was a shortfall in provincial funding, they could increase their revenue through local taxation. We can't do that anymore.”
She said divisions are now heavily dependent on provincial funding after more than a decade of declining per-student investment that reduced resources in classrooms. While last year’s funding increase was welcome, she said it did not keep pace with inflation or enrolment growth, leaving schools well behind 2012 funding levels.
“We don't expect that gap to be filled within one year. We need consistent and regular increases in investment in public education by our provincial government to ensure that divisions can allocate resources and improve supports so that all students can thrive,” Becotte said.
Inclusive learning
Becotte said inclusive learning environments — where students with complex needs are integrated into regular classrooms — have been in place for years. However, she stressed that inclusion requires adequate resources, including educational assistants and specialized supports.
“For the most part, people who are making decisions about public education might be picturing classrooms that weren't necessarily inclusive. I remember when I was in elementary school, it was one of the few inclusive schools in my community. It was a new idea,” she said.
“It is something that has been around for a while. When we talk about inclusive learning environments, we still need to ensure we have the resources to fully equip classrooms and make sure all students are getting the support they need.”
Saskatoon Public Schools, in a separate statement, said it is committed to supporting students with intensive needs so they can participate fully and safely in school every day and feel a sense of belonging. However, some students with highly complex needs may require individualized planning.
“At times, this may include temporary adjustments to their daily schedule to support their learning and well-being best. These plans are developed collaboratively with families, with the shared goal of helping each student engage as fully as possible in school,” the statement said.
The division added the issue is not unique to Saskatchewan, as school divisions across the province are seeing increasing complexity in student needs. In some cases, students may require short-term modified schedules to ensure overall well-being and that appropriate safety, health and medical supports are in place, with the focus always on returning the student to a full school day as soon as it is appropriate.
A parent’s perspective
Erin Furgesson, who has a son with autism, said the government is not tracking how many students with complex needs are being denied access to school — a failure she described as illegal and unacceptable. She said the province continues to downplay the issue by not being transparent with available data.
“I think tracking the exclusions is the bare minimum of what they [the provincial government] could do to understand what's happening, identify the failure, and ensure the kids’ rights are being upheld. Without the proper support in the classroom, you're going to see a lot more difficult and disruptive behaviours from autistic and disabled children,” said Furgesson, who noted caring for a child with complex needs is already stressful, especially for working parents.
“Without the needed support, you can always expect a phone call from the school, pretty much every day. I have friends who are being told their kids can’t go to school. So how can they continue a job? How can you continue a career? How can you support your child and support your family? We need more [educational assistants] who are capable of taking care of autistic children and helping them to be less disruptive in classrooms.”
She downplayed the government’s commitments to expand specialized support classrooms, fund more teachers for students with complex needs, and allocate more than $2.4 billion to Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions.
“Adding one complexity teacher per school doesn't at all address the need for individual EAs for these students. Most of the students who are being excluded need one-on-one care from an EA or additional support. On top of that, there are a lot of undiagnosed children packed into classrooms where they could use an EA. For example, in my daughter's class, it's a split class; there are around 30 children, no EA and one teacher assigned to all these kids,” she added.
The Opposition held another media event Wednesday in Prince Albert, where parents expressed disappointment and anger that their children are being sent home early for no other reason than having a disability. One parent, Melissa Sander, said her child missed 118 days during the 2024-2025 school year.
The Saskatchewan NDP has written to the provincial auditor and the child and youth advocate requesting formal investigations into Inclusion Saskatchewan’s findings, with shadow minister for disabilities Brittney Senger adding that disabled students and those with complex needs deserve the support necessary to receive a quality education.
