The Saskatchewan Government recently amended the Education Act to make it mandatory to fly the Saskatchewan flag at all elementary and high schools in the province.
The policy requires schools to fly the Canadian flag at all schools but has been amended to make flying the Saskatchewan flag mandatory.
Director of education Lorel Trumier updated the board of education on the status of the amendment at the board’s regular meeting on Thursday, Jan. 4.
Trumier said the planning process is still underway as each division will require a second flagpole and flags for each school.
“We are in a process right now where the Ministry has articulated to us that they will actually procure the flags, so that’s going to help school division across this province ensure that we get an economical approach to this,” Trumier said.
The Ministry of Education emailed the division about the amendment in December. The email also said that as new school builds or construction projects occur, the government will fund the second flagpole’s cost.
In the interim, the division was told that they may fly the Saskatchewan flag under the Canadian flag on one flagpole. Trumier said that’s what they plan to do until they get more flag poles.
The memo to the board stated that “the provincial flag is an important part of our history and our history and the development of understandings and skills that support active and responsible citizenship,” the memo called these things foundational to curriculum in Saskatchewan.
She said that having the flag representation was important.
“I’m proud to be a part of the Saskatchewan landscape and I do think that there should be a time and a place for that,” she said. “This is where we’ve landed and that’s what we’ll be doing, so it’s good.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
