Some clarity is starting to emerge regarding transformational change for public and separate school systems in Saskatchewan.
The health-care sector received information months ago about how the review process will work for them when a three-person panel began their fact-finding journey en route to their recommendations.
The Ministry of Education is taking a different approach with the appointment of one person who is expected to complete his work on governance within a month and file recommendations to Education Minister Don Morgan before the end of next month.
Dan Perrins, a well known name within government circles, has been assigned the task of reviewing the 28 provincial Kindergarten to Grade 12 education divisions within the next few weeks and come up with recommendations.
Obviously, Perrins, a 40-year public servant, won’t be paying visits to school division administrators or governing bodies. Nobody from the Â鶹ÊÓƵ East Cornerestone Public School Division has been contacted by anyone associated with Perrin’s mission, to provide him with their facts, opinions or suggestions.
This raises the question as to whether the Education Ministry has entered the process with a preconceived notion of what is deemed to be necessary and is only paying lip service to a public process for the sake of optics?
No one will question Perrins qualifications to perform the duties, but the very tight time line and restricted outreach of the mandate, does cause concern.
With the provincial government now holding the hammer by dictating the revenue raising process for the delivery of elementary and secondary school educations, it may be the right time to raise a few red flags.
Times are not good in Saskatchewan, but they also aren’t disastrous.
The economy is not cratering, but the government itself is facing a serious dilemma of having serious shortfall on the revenue side, while being somewhat reluctant to impose harsh measures on the expenditure side.
What we fear is a frontal attack on rural-based services since the power base is now located in the two major cities. The governing Sask. Party may now be tempted to call in some favours from their rural fans, where they have enjoyed unparalleled popularity for nearly a decade.
In other words, school divisions outside Saskatoon and Regina may soon be called upon to drastically reduce expenses on the administration, governance, transportation, special and support services files. The recommendations may even call for forced closure of some small schools, whether the elected board members like it or not. A little trampling on democracy may seem to be the right approach for a government faced with billion dollar deficits.
Sometimes dollars trump democracy.
Health regions are probably expecting the same kind of rude ride, and they are even more vulnerable since they already operate with government-infused appointed boards that can be muted with a single vote in the legislative assembly. A full democratic approach to health-care facilities and operations, left the room about six years ago and its doubtful it will be returned to a local governance model.
We provided that opening to government with our inattention and disinterest in electing regional health board members. Our turnout numbers at the polls were abysmal, which opened the door for government intervention that included stacking the deck in favour of centralized decision-making.
It now may be education’s turn to take it on the chin.
And, at the same time, those who are currently engaged in governing any one of our 296 rural municipalities, thinking that there will be no forced amalgamations in their future, may want to reconsider. They could be next to be reduced in numbers and clout, all in the name of deficit reduction. Â Â
