The evolution of professionalism - Centre for Policy Studies in ...

population (Saskatchewan Learning, 2000b, 2003b); moreover, the Aboriginal
population in Saskatchewan has been increasing. The number of pre-school aged
Aboriginal children is signifi cantly larger than the number of Aboriginal youth
nearing completion of the K-12 system.
Another signifi cant population trend is urbanization — decreases in rural
populations and corresponding increases in the population of urban areas. This
challenge has not gone unnoticed by Saskatchewan Learning. “As population
numbers decrease in certain regions of the province, the challenge continues to
provide equity of opportunity and benefi t in the absence of economies of scale”
(Saskatchewan Education, 2000b, p. 10). Since 1991-92, enrolments in rural school
divisions have decreased, while the enrolments in urban school divisions have
increased (Saskatchewan Learning, 2003b).
Since 1994-95, enrolment in the public school system has decreased, while
enrolment has increased in the publicly funded separate school system. In 2001-
02, there were 142,547 students enrolled in the public school divisions and 37,531
students enrolled in the separate school divisions; approximately 3,000 students
were enrolled in independent schools. Some independent schools, which have
entered into contractual arrangements with school divisions, are referred to as
associate schools, and their enrolments are included in the enrolment fi gures for the
publicly funded school divisions. In addition, there were 19,201 K-12 Aboriginal
students living on reserves in 2001-02, 71 percent of whom attended First Nations
controlled schools. Finally, 1,792 students were registered in home-based schooling
during the 2001-02 school year.
In 1999-2000, there were 11,444 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in
Saskatchewan, an increase of 222 FTE from the previous year. In the same year, there
was approximately one teacher aide for every four FTE teachers3 (Saskatchewan
Learning, 2000b, 2003b), and the pupil/teacher ratio was 15.3. Saskatchewan
Learning (2002b, p. 44) stated that the average cost per pupil was $6,491. This
fi gure, however, is qualifi ed: “Per pupil expenditure on education was higher in
rural and northern areas than in urban areas” (p. 44): rural, $7,050; urban, $5,999;
north, $8,252; conseils scolaires, $10,908.
In 2001-02, the average class size in Saskatchewan was 20.8 pupils, with the
typical rural class having fi ve fewer pupils than an urban class. Since 1996-97,
average class sizes have decreased, with an accompanying decrease in the number
of large classes.
[I]n 2001-2002, 26.2 percent of the province’s classrooms had more than 25
students, down from 34.8 percent fi ve years earlier. Rural schools were more
likely to have greater numbers of very small classes (36 percent with 15 or fewer
students), and urban schools were more likely to have greater numbers of large
classes (39 percent above 25 students). (Saskatchewan Learning, 2002b, p. 33)
In 2001-02, there were 778 publicly funded provincial schools, 86 fewer than a
existed a decade earlier (Saskatchewan Learning, 2002b, p. 38). The overall number
of schools in the province has declined over the past decade as well:
In 2001-02, there were 295 Saskatchewan schools with 150 or fewer students,
down from 349 schools in 1991-92. The greatest reduction in the number of
56 Section 2: The Prairies