Student First Advisors Engagement Complete

Released on September 18, 2014

The Student First advisors, Russ Mirasty and Patricia Prowse, have officially wrapped up the engagement process and handed over their findings to the education sector and the Government of Saskatchewan.

A discussion guide and toolkit, which will be available to the public, include a summary of what was heard and the themes that emerged during the engagement process, and will be used to ensure the findings continue to drive the work of the ministry and sector.

“I would like to thank the Student First advisors for the tremendous job they’ve done capturing the voices of students, parents/caregivers, teachers and education partners, and guiding us toward an education system that truly puts the student first,” Education Minister Don Morgan said.  “I am certain that their findings will help us as a sector to continue to put the needs of the student at the forefront of the decisions we make moving forward.”

Themes include the importance of relationships between schools, families and communities; supporting students and teachers to ensure individual student success; a shared responsibility for student well-being between schools, families and communities; and a need for healthy, culturally-affirming learning environments that are free of bullying and violence.

"The opportunity to be a part of the Student First engagements has been a career highlight and I feel honoured to have heard the stories and perspectives shared during the province-wide consultation,” Prowse said.  “All stakeholders have a vested interest in the development of a responsive education sector plan that puts the "student first" and creates the favourable conditions that all of our students, no matter where they attend school in Saskatchewan, need to thrive.  It is my hope that the information gathered through the Student First engagements will prove to be beneficial in moving this important work forward in our province.”

Over the past several months, the advisors took part in 120 engagement forums, heard from 994 students, parents/caregivers and teachers from provincial and First Nations schools, and held 42 sessions with key educational organization representatives.  More than 1,500 submissions were received through the online engagement tool.  Two verification sessions, held in June, marked the end of the engagements.

“It is important for students, families, teachers, education partners and community members to continue to be truly engaged in the education system to ensure Student First lives on and all students, no matter where in Saskatchewan they reside, have the supports they need to succeed in school,” Mirasty said.

Student First is about unifying and re-orienting the education system on what matters most - the student.  The engagements, both in-person and online, focus on what’s going well, what’s not, and how the education sector can better support students and ensure they have the tools they need to succeed.

To learn more about Student First and the advisors’ discussion guide and toolkit, please visit www.saskatchewan.ca/studentfirst.  To keep up to date on success stories across Saskatchewan, visit the Student First blog at www.studentfirstsk.com.

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For more information, contact:

Rebecca Schulz
Education
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6304
Email: rebecca.schulz@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-533-6391