Parents, Sask. NDP blast province for EA shortage, shortened school days for kids with complex needs

Parents of children with autism in Saskatoon say a shortage of educational assistants is pushing some students with complex needs to modified school schedules, cutting their days in half.

Two Saskatoon mothers, Erin Gerwing and Rochelle Young, spoke at a Saskatchewan NDP media event on Wednesday, saying their sons, both seven years old, have been limited to partial days because schools cannot provide consistent one-on-one support.

"Right now, I'm not working," Gerwing said.

"Many families are finding it impossible to have full time jobs because ... somebody has to be able to go to the school on a moment’s notice. It affects families a lot."

Young said her son’s teacher cannot meet his needs without the help of an EA, which affects his classmates too.

"Without EA support, teachers cannot do their jobs," she said. "Having EA support for the children that need it benefits everybody."

In an emailed statement to CBC, Saskatoon Public Schools said temporary schedule changes are sometimes needed for students with highly complex needs, and that plans are developed in collaboration with families.

“Like all school divisions, we continue to see increasing complexity in the needs of some students," Saskatoon Public Schools said in its statement.

That "may require a short-term, modified schedule to ensure appropriate safety, regulation, or medical support is in place," the division said, but "the focus is always on gradually returning the student to a full school day as soon as it is appropriate for them."

The division said it is continuing to recruit educational assistants but is competing with other school divisions for staff in a high-demand field.

Earlier this year, the division laid off 80 educational assistants, saying the cuts were due to a shortfall in federal Jordan’s Principle funding.

NDP MLA Matt Love said stories like those shared Wednesday show the provincial Saskatchewan Party government needs to to ensure students with complex needs are supported.

"All children have a right to education," Love said. "It is time that these families were heard, and the province needs to step up for these children."

The Opposition says the province should immediately replace lost funding under Jordan's Principle — which is meant to ensure Indigenous children receive the health, social and education services they need — so school divisions can hire more EAs and keep students on full schedules.