PRINCE ALBERT鈥� Recently, the Government of Saskatchewan announced that all school divisions will be required to develop, implement and publicly disclose a policy on changeroom usage that upholds the privacy, dignity, and comfort of all students.
According to the province, the Ministry of Education has been working with school divisions to ensure the safety and privacy of all students, which remain a top priority in Saskatchewan.
Both the Prince Albert Catholic School Division and the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division are still working through what the announcement means.
鈥淪ask Rivers Public School Division will need time to review the details of our own admin procedures to ensure we align with the provinces mandate,鈥� Saskatchewan Rivers School Division Director of Education Neil Finch said in a statement to the Daily Herald.
Superintendent Robert Tessier of the Prince Albert Catholic School Division said that the division is currently trying to understand the announcement and how it will affect them.
"It is relatively new and as a division, we need to respond here and have something in place as per the directive and what was requested. Our plan is to look at the details and put in place a policy or some information so that we can proceed in a way that aligns with that,鈥� Tessier said.
Tessier said they always try and maintain open lines of communication with administrators, which should help speed up the process of developing a changeroom policy. He said it鈥檚 not a formal process, but it does allow administrators to work with the division.
鈥淚f anyone has concerns or any sensitive needs or any type of plans that are in place for them to do the work that they need to do, we've always had that open communication process with our students and our families,鈥� he said.
Tessier added that they need to develop a policy quickly, with the deadline at the end of the current school year.
"That's definitely something we need to get on and start to understand clearly here,鈥� he said. 鈥淟ike I said, it's really understanding what's required here and seeing how it impacts us as a school division and putting in place, I guess we'll put on paper, what we are currently doing with our students and supporting them with what they need.鈥�
In a press release, the provincial government said school divisions have a critical role in the development and implementation of administrative procedures. These administrative procedures are formal policy documents used by school staff when dealing with situations such as student safety and privacy.
In a press availability on Thursday, Education Minister Everett Hindley said the government decided to make the policy this way after consultation with divisions in December.
Hindley said that many divisions already have policies in place.
鈥淲e also heard that the locally elected school boards did appreciate that, the opportunity to be able to have these issues (addressed) locally to make decisions and consult with parents and with citizens within their school division to try and develop a policy that's at the best reflection and provides what needs to be provided for students in their schools,鈥� Hindley said.
When the initial concept was floated by former Minister of Education Dustin Duncan, the policy sounded as if it would be broadly across all 27 divisions. Hindley said this changed after consulting with the divisions ahead of the announcement.
"We want to ensure privacy, dignity and comfort of all students," Hindley said in a press release. "It is also important for parents/guardians to be aware of the steps being taken to ensure the comfort and safety of all students. Through our consultations, many school divisions informed us that they are in the best position to make these decisions at a local level."
The province said they expect school divisions will develop and implement these administrative procedures in consultation with parents/guardians and students. All divisions must ensure that by June 30, 2025, or the end of the current school year their policy is publicly available on their website and clearly communicated to staff, parents, students and members of the public to maintain a sufficient level of transparency across the province.
According to the release, the government will continue to monitor this situation to ensure that local input is being respected and heard.
The NDP sent a joint statement on behalf of Shadow Education Minister Matt Love and Shadow Human Rights Minister Jacqueline Roy on Thursday.
"Even though Scott Moe said changerooms would be his 鈥榯op priority鈥� during the last election, we鈥檙e surprised that the Sask. The party is continuing to focus on this when there are much more pressing issues facing the province right now,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淗ospitals and health centres are closing because of short staffing, the cost of essentials like gas and groceries is way too high, and we are on the verge of a trade war that could wipe out entire industries and communities in our province.鈥�
