I know this seems like pretty straightforward information. It’s information that wouldn’t be out of place in one of those Captain Obvious commercials, or a surprise to anyone who ever went to elementary school. But the Saskatchewan government surveyed 9,000 people to reach that stunning conclusion. In a news release posted at the end of August, the Saskatchewan government breathlessly announced that “9,000 students, parents and community members” participated in a recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Education to determine what elementary and high school students in the province need to be successful.

Forgive me for believing that there were mechanisms in place already inside the Ministry of Education (emphasis on Education) to determine what was required for our kids to obtain a good education. Minister Gord Wyant has been telling us for almost two years now that he has a longterm strategy. Like the more than $7 million in annual salaries spread across a few dozen bureaucrats working for Wyant. These people are presumably responsible for supporting him in his pursuit of a better standard for Saskatchewan classrooms. Yet here we are, going into another school year with teachers without a contract, classrooms that are overcrowded and analyzing the results of an online survey launched to determine how to provide kids with a good education.

Let’s consider what else the government says it determined with this ground-breaking research, conducted last spring. Included were just over 1,000 students. “Students who responded to the survey identified the most important things to help them learn are quality teachers and staff and a comfortable, quiet learning environment.” I’m going to try to keep my sarcasm in check, but seriously? They needed to survey students to grasp that concept? Regardless, I guess I’ll have to shelve my idea to use random volunteers as educators and shopping mall food courts as classrooms.

“In addition to the students, non-students provided survey responses saying that quality teachers, issues at home and access to supports, including educational assistants, are the top three things needed to support students’ well-being and learning.” I’d like to be able to critique this revelation, but I don’t know what it means; are they saying “issues at home” is one of the top three “things” needed for students’ support? My best guess is they mean “access to supports for issues at home,” but it disturbs me a bit that I must translate a news release written by education officials.

“The survey results from non-students identified that updated curriculum and classroom supports are important.” Okay, I can’t go on with this nonsense. Besides, you get the point. The release rambles on with a few more similarly interpretive statements, although the actual results of the survey were not made available to the public (at the time of writing this column, anyway. Hopefully someone calls for them to be released.)

The bottom line is that this is just the latest fumbled attempt by the minister and Ministry of Education to appear like they’re doing something, because they can’t do the one thing they need to do: put more money into the pot. More money is the No. 1 thing that is required in the education system in Saskatchewan right now. It would fund the hiring of more teachers and staff, but the government doesn’t have it anymore. The Sask. Party got the growth it’s been promoting for over a decade, but forgot to save the money to pay for it. So the best it has right now by way of meaningful action on education is conducting online surveys. Like overcrowded classrooms, none of this is sustainable. What remains to be seen is how heavily these gaffes weigh on people’s minds next year at the ballot box.

-Tammy Robert