Over 500 teachers, parents, and community members gathered in Moose Jaw yesterday (Sat) for the first of four Saskatchewan Teachers Federation mini rallies.

The group chose Moose Jaw as their first location so they could call on local MLA Tim McLeod, Minister of Addictions and Mental Health and a Treasury Board member, to use his governmental influence to prioritize funding and services for public education. According to an STF news release, last year, the province saw the largest student enrolment increase in 20 years, however the number of regular classroom teachers decreased. It added that, despite historic inflation, the government is investing a smaller portion of the budget in public education each year.

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation Vice-President Nathan Bromm says in a news release that, “With a $500 million surplus, government is making a political choice to underfund public education, not an economic one.’

There are three more planned mini rallies taking place throughout the fall in Humboldt, Saskatoon, and North Battleford.