SaskatchewanParents of children with autism in Saskatoon say a shortage of educational assistants is pushing some students with complex needs to modified school schedules, cutting their days in half.Education minister says EA layoffs in Saskatoon stem from federal decisions, not provincial cutsJeffery Tram · CBC News · Posted: Dec 03, 2025 9:26 PM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Erin Gerwing, centre, and Rochelle Young, left, are parents of children with autism. They say a lack of educational assistants means their kids are on modified school schedules, because they don’t have access to full-day supports. (Jeremy Warren/CBC)Parents of children with autism in Saskatoon say a shortage of educational assistants is pushing some students with complex needs to modified school schedules, cutting their days in half.Two Saskatoon mothers, Erin Gerwing and Rochelle Young, spoke at a Saskatchewan NDP media event on Wednesday, saying their sons, both seven years old, have been limited to partial days because schools cannot provide consistent one-on-one support.”Right now, I’m not working,” Gerwing said.”Many families are finding it impossible to have full time jobs because … somebody has to be able to go to the school on a moment’s notice. It affects families a lot.”Young said her son’s teacher cannot meet his needs without the help of an EA, which affects his classmates too.”Without EA support, teachers cannot do their jobs,” she said. “Having EA support for the children that need it benefits everybody.”Modified schedules sometimes necessary: divisionIn an emailed statement to CBC, Saskatoon Public Schools said temporary schedule changes are sometimes needed for students with highly complex needs, and that plans are developed in collaboration with families.“Like all school divisions, we continue to see increasing complexity in the needs of some students,” Saskatoon Public Schools said in its statement.That “may require a short-term, modified schedule to ensure appropriate safety, regulation, or medical support is in place,” the division said, but “the focus is always on gradually returning the student to a full school day as soon as it is appropriate for them.”The division said it is continuing to recruit educational assistants but is competing with other school divisions for staff in a high-demand field.Earlier this year, the division laid off 80 educational assistants, saying the cuts were due to a shortfall in federal Jordan’s Principle funding.NDP MLA Matt Love said stories like those shared Wednesday show the provincial Saskatchewan Party government needs to to ensure students with complex needs are supported.”All children have a right to education,” Love said. “It is time that these families were heard, and the province needs to step up for these children.”The Opposition says the province should immediately replace lost funding under Jordan’s Principle — which is meant to ensure Indigenous children receive the health, social and education services they need — so school divisions can hire more EAs and keep students on full schedules.Education Minister Everett Hindley, responding in question period on Wednesday, said the layoffs stem from federal decisions, not provincial cuts, and highlighted provincial supports already in place.”We can’t restore funding that wasn’t our program in the first place. This was a cut by the federal government” Hindley said. “We’re disappointed the federal government made changes to Jordan’s Principle funding.”Hindley said Saskatoon Public Schools received $54 million this year for classroom support, a 10 per cent increase from last year. He also pointed to an 8.4 per cent increase to overall school operating funding in the latest provincial budget.”We understand that there’s still more work to do to help support the students in our school system, and this is a government committed to doing that.”ABOUT THE AUTHORJeffery is a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan in Regina. He previously worked at CBC Toronto as an associate producer. You can reach him at jeffery.tram@cbc.ca.With files from Jeremy Warren
Parents, Sask. NDP blast province for EA shortage, shortened school days for kids with complex needs
