Section I: Legislative Authority

Introduction

Education in Saskatchewan promotes the development of responsible and caring people who are equipped to meet the challenges of a complex and rapidly changing world. All students require an approach to education that meets their unique needs and the needs of their communities.

When provincially-developed Secondary Level courses do not meet the unique student and community needs, school divisions may provide courses and programs that differ from those that are provincially developed. In doing so, school divisions should have policies and procedures concerning the development and implementation of courses and programs and the enrolment of students in such offerings.

The Minister’s authority for approving local development of courses and programs lies within The Education Act, 1995.

 

The Education Act, 1995

4. (1) The minister may:

(f) prescribe the subjects of instruction and issue courses of study for each year or grade from kindergarten to Grade 12, or such combination of those grades as may be classified as Elementary, Middle and Secondary Levels, for all schools;
(g) define compulsory and optional subjects and course requirements for completion of a grade or year of study;
(h) authorize a course of study developed by a school and approved by the board of education or the conseil scolaire to be taught as an alternative, or in addition, to a course or courses prescribed by the department;

 

86. (a) With respect to francophone education areas, fransaskois schools and the division scolaire francophone, the conseil scolaire shall:

(j) subject to the regulations, authorize and approve the courses of instruction that constitute the instructional program in each fransaskois school;

 

103. (1) Subject to subsection (2), every board of education shall prepare an administrative manual in the form and with the content it considers appropriate to its purposes and jurisdiction pursuant to this Act with respect to program policies, administrative organization and general management for the school division.

(2) Administrative manuals must include:

(3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), the conseil scolaire shall prepare an administrative manual in the form and with the content it considers appropriate to its purposes and jurisdiction pursuant to this Act with respect to program policies, administrative organization and general management for the division scolaire francophone and francophone education areas.

(4) The administrative manual must include:

(b) a definition of the administrative organization adopted by the conseil scolaire for the purposes of the administration and supervision of its educational and financial policies.

(5) The conseil scolaire shall develop the administrative manual in consultation with the conseils d’écoles.

 

142. (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, every person who has attained the age of six years but has not yet attained the age of 22 years has the right:

(a) to attend school in the school division where that person or that person’s parents or guardians reside; and
(b) to receive instruction appropriate to that person’s age and level of educational achievement.

(2) A person’s right to receive instruction mentioned in clause (1)(b) is the right to instruction in courses of instruction approved by the board of education.

(a) in the schools of the school division; or
(b) subject to the stated policies, requirements and conditions of the board of education, in any schools or institutions outside the school division with which the board of education has made arrangements to provide certain services to pupils of the school division.

 

143. (1) Subject to the other provisions in this Act, every person who has attained the age of six years but has not attained the age of 22 years and whose parent is a minority language adult has the right:


(a) to attend a fransaskois school in the francophone education area in which that person’s parent who is a minority language adult, or the person’s guardian, is resident; and
(b) to receive instruction appropriate to the person’s age and level of educational achievement in courses of instruction approved by the conseil scolaire;

 

168. (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the rate of progress of any pupil or of any group of pupils in completing the work of any Level may, in the discretion of the teacher but subject to the policies of the school, be accelerated or decelerated.

(3) Pursuant to subsection (2), the content of any of the courses of study taken by a pupil or a group of pupils may be altered, augmented or otherwise adjusted in any manner that the teacher considers advisable in the interest of the pupil or pupils.

 

176. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the basic program of studies and the courses of study used in a school are to be consistent with the regulations and with any directives that the minister may issue.

(2) With the approval of the minister, a board of education may authorize the implementation of a course of study that has been developed within the school division for use in any of the schools in the school division, and that course may be recognized for credit purposes in accordance with the regulations.

(3) With the approval of the minister, the conseil scolaire may authorize the implementation of a course of study that has been developed within the division scolaire francophone for use in any of the fransaskois schools in the division scolaire francophone, and that course may be recognized for credit purposes in accordance with the regulations.

 

177. Subject to the regulations, the program of studies provided in a school shall be approved by the board of education or the conseil scolaire in consultation with the principal and on the recommendation of the director.

 

185. (1) Subject to the regulations, courses of vocational education and occupational training may be provided where it is considered advisable by the board of education or the conseil scolaire.

 

231. (1) A teacher is responsible, in co-operation with staff colleagues and administrative authorities, for:


(a)advancing the educational standards and efficiency of the school;
(b) participating in educational planning by the staff and the board of education or the conseil scolaire; and
(c) advancing his or her personal professional competence.

(2) A teacher shall:

(c) plan and organize the learning activities of the class with due regard for individual differences and needs of the pupils;

 

Regulations of The Education Act, 1986

PART IV

Basic Program and Course of Study

INTERPRETATION

21. In this Part:

(d) “course of study” means a statement of the aims and objectives and scope of the content and the nature of the material to be studied in a given subject or area of study at a given grade level.

23. (1) The courses of study that may be used in schools are those authorized by the minister and issued in curriculum guides, bulletins or directives.

25. The department shall:

(a) classify Grades 10, 11, and 12 courses of study in the level 10, 20, and 30 series of courses respectively;
(b) maintain a policy statement describing the course numbering system; and
(c) determine the prerequisites and number of credits associated with each course of study.

 

The Education Act and the Department policies regarding courses of instruction are consistent with The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code. School divisions should consider both of those pieces of legislation when developing and implementing policies related to Locally Developed Courses.