Students have rights and responsibilities when attending school.

Indigenous people face barriers to education, including a lack of culturally appropriate education and discrimination. Knowing the rights students have can help.

Does a school need to accept my child as a student?

What is a School Board?

A School Board is a group of people elected to run a School Division. People living in the area can vote for members of a School Board. School Boards manage and administer the school system in their School Division. The Ministry of Education has rules all School Boards must follow.

Your child has the right to attend a public school in the area you live free of charge. Youth have the right to attend school from the age of 6 until they are 22. Schools also offer publicly funded kindergarten for children who are 5 years old. Children from 6 years old up to when they are 16 must attend school. Youth who are 22 years old or older can enroll in adult education to complete their schooling.

Some schools focus specifically on the education of Indigenous youth and may have a focus on cultural and Indigenous language programs. You can ask the School Board in your community about whether any of these schools or programs are available.

Can a school charge fees?

Public schools cannot charge a fee to attend school. School Boards can charge a reasonable amount for school fees. There can also be fees for taking part in things like field trips. If you cannot afford these fees there is support to cover these costs. Textbooks are provided to students but you will need to buy your child school supplies. You can also ask about support available to help with those costs.

What if my child needs extra help?

Schools must provide supports at school at no cost. If you disagree with what the school is providing you have the right to have these decisions reviewed by the principal and if you still disagree you can ask the School Board to review your case.

What type of discipline can schools use?

Schools cannot use any type of physical discipline. In serious cases your child can be suspended from attending school. For a suspension of up to 3 days your child must have seriously misbehaved. For a longer suspension of up to 10 days your child must have done something like destroy school property or refused to obey school rules. In very serious cases your child can be expelled for up to one year.

If my child is suspended or expelled what rights do we have?

The school must tell you at once that your child has been suspended and why. If the suspension is for more than 3 days, they must also tell your child why they have been suspended. For a suspension of more than 3 days they must give you a written report about what happened.

The maximum suspension is for 10 days. In this case if you or your child request it there must be a hearing with the School Board. The School Board can investigate. The School Board decides whether to confirm the suspension or to reduce it or remove it. Students can be expelled for up to one year from their school or any school in the division. Before this can happen there must be an investigation. Both the student and the parents need to be told about the investigation and be given the chance to respond.

What if I didn't finish high school?

Adult education programs can help you complete high school as an adult. These programs may be provided by a local School Board, through a First Nation or Tribal Council or by a regional college in your community. They are specifically set up to allow people to complete school while working or taking care of family.

When might it be different?

Reserves in Saskatchewan can have schools located on their reserve. Many are run by First Nations. Some First Nations communities have partnered with provincial school divisions to access services or administrative support. There are other arrangements including ones where First Nations have joined together to pool their resources and provide services. Many First Nations also have educational programs to supplement regular schooling. If you have questions or concerns about education on your reserve you can contact your First Nation, Tribal Council or Indigenous Services Canada.

Get Help

School Community Councils
School Boards need to have a School Community Council for each school in their area unless the councils for two or more schools have been combined. Councils are made up of elected parents and community members as well as students, teachers and principals appointed by the School Board. Councils give a way for parents, teachers and community members to work together to support the school community.

Education Ministry
Phone: 306.787.7360 (Minister’s Office)
Email: learning.inquiry@gov.sk.ca

School Divisions
School Boards manage and administer the school system in their School Division. You can bring complaints about your school or a teacher to your Board. Before going to the Board it is a good idea to talk to the teacher and the principal first to see if it can be resolved.