Is Saskatchewan’s Education System Falling Behind?

Parents all over Saskatchewan have been asking the same uneasy question for years now: are kids today actually learning less than earlier generations did? It’s not just nostalgia kicking in or some grumpy “back in my day” rant. The data coming out of national and international testing shows a real, steady decline in academic performance across Canada, and Saskatchewan is sitting near the bottom of the provincial rankings in the subjects that matter most.

Canada once held a strong international reputation for high academic achievement, especially in the early 2000s. But results from the global PISA assessments tell a different story today. Scores in math and reading have dropped nationally for two decades, and more Canadian students are now falling below the basic proficiency level that the OECD says is essential for participating effectively in a modern society. Canada is still above the global average overall, but the long-term downward trend is unmistakable.

When you zoom in on Saskatchewan, the picture becomes even harder to ignore. In the 2022 PISA results, Saskatchewan ranked second-lowest in Canada for math, third-lowest in reading, and below the national average in science. This isn’t a one-time dip. In 2018, Saskatchewan was also below the national average in every tested subject, and earlier provincial reports show the same pattern stretching back more than a decade. Compared to the rest of the country, Saskatchewan’s students are consistently underperforming.

A lot of people blame this on a supposed “dumbing down” of the curriculum, and while that phrase is loaded, there’s truth behind the concern. Over the years, some foundational skills have been reduced or removed entirely, like cursive writing. Curriculum priorities shifted toward broader competencies and modern digital skills, while traditional reading, writing, and math didn’t always get the same emphasis they used to. Kids aren’t less intelligent, but the system isn’t necessarily equipping them with the same tools it once did.

Then there’s the claim you hear all the time: “Classrooms today are overcrowded.” It’s a common talking point, but the reality is more complicated than that. Today in Saskatchewan, class sizes generally average around 22 to 25 students, depending on the school division. Some urban classes reach the higher end of that range, while rural schools often have fewer students but more split-grade situations. When you compare that to 40 years ago, the picture gets even hazier. Historical data is limited, but what we do know suggests that in the 1970s and early 1980s, some classrooms had 35 to 40 or more students. The number of teachers in Canada even increased faster than the number of students in that era, suggesting class sizes were being held in check over time. In other words, class sizes today aren’t universally larger than they were decades ago.

But here’s the big difference: today’s classrooms are more complex. Modern classrooms have more students with diagnosed learning needs. Teachers now manage a wider range of behavioral expectations, more administrative tasks, and more diverse learning styles. Technology introduces both new tools and new distractions. A class of 22 students today can require more energy, support, and structure than a class of 30 did in 1980 simply because the needs are different.

So the issue isn’t that classrooms are overflowing everywhere in Saskatchewan. It’s that the overall system is strained. Teacher shortages, inconsistent support staff, aging buildings in some regions, rural-urban gaps, shifting curriculum priorities, and the lasting impact of the pandemic have all contributed to Saskatchewan’s educational decline. Kids are navigating a more complicated world with a more complicated set of challenges, and the supports around them haven’t kept pace.

If Saskatchewan wants to climb out of the bottom of the national rankings, it will require a serious reinvestment in foundational learning—reading, writing, math—and more practical support for teachers. That includes reducing unnecessary administrative burden, improving access to support staff, stabilizing staffing shortages, and giving rural schools the resources they need instead of expecting them to stretch what little they have. Curriculum priorities will need review, and the province will have to take a hard look at how it equips kids for both modern digital life and the timeless basics they still need to succeed.

Kids today aren’t “dumber.” They’re capable, creative, and full of potential. The problem isn’t with them. The problem is whether the education system around them is giving them what they actually need. Right now, the evidence in Saskatchewan suggests the answer is: not consistently.