Parents express frustration over cancellation of extracurricular school activities

It was a financial stretch for Manya Faria to be able to afford the $1,700 for one of her children to go on a band trip to Banff that was scheduled and for the other to go on an educational trip to the Vancouver Film school — but she did it.

Now, unless the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) and the province come to an agreement quickly, she’s out the $1,700. Travel insurance won’t cover it.

“I am not a fan of work stoppages affecting the children,” she says. “I think that there are different ways that they can handle this, and if the union is going to put our kids and the money we’ve invested in these trips at risk, then I will see them probably in small claims court.”

Steve Badea, whose kids — along with nearly 200 others — were looking forward to taking a ski trip to the North Battleford area next week, is also upset.

Badea called the school his children attend and asked whether parents could either pay their teacher extra money or could volunteer themselves to take the students.

“Everything is booked,” he explained. “Everything is planned. Kids are waiting for this trip for a long time, (and) they’re very excited about it.”

He said the principal told him it wasn’t about money or volunteer time, but activities taking place outside of school hours.

Both Saskatoon Public Schools and Greater Catholic School District representatives say parents will not be allowed to volunteer to host events or trips because of insurance and liability issues. While many parents do normally volunteer during school trips, a teacher is required to also attend.

The school districts also understand the situation is delicate, and employees will respect the position of the teachers.

STF president Patrick Maze says he too is a parent — but parents should direct their frustration toward the provincial government.

As for teachers’ ability to apply for exemptions to take part in extracurricular activities, that does exist but parents shouldn’t hold their breath.

“The more exemptions that are granted, the lesser the effect and the more prolonged that this issue will go on,” he says. “And so, the STF provincial executive has given the bargaining team and the exemptions committee very strict regulations that only in the most extreme situations would exemptions be granted.”

An example of an extreme situation would be a class already on a school trip in another country. In all other instances, including provincial championships like Hoopla 2020 — the provincial high school basketball championships — it will not be allowed.

The Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association said Tuesday that if the union doesn’t remove sanctions by Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., Hoopla will be scrapped.

“If sanctions are not lifted, all remaining basketball playoffs will be cancelled due to the lack of teacher involvement in the events, the loss of the qualification process, and the constraints for schools and host sites in planning and preparing for the events,” the SHSAA said in a media release.

If Badea could speak directly to the province and to the STF, he would question their reasoning.

“How does this thing help the kids? If their main concern is the kids, how? Is this all they can do?” he said. “There’s nothing else that they can do, to keep the kids happy and not take it out on the kids?”

Faria adds that the trips are important, and students should still be allowed to go.

“Please allow our children to take the money that they have earned and saved up to go on these trips, and let them take their trips,” she said.

At this point, Maze says there’s no foreseeable end to the dispute between the province and teachers.

“Teachers don’t take this lightly and we completely empathize with parents,” he said.