To protect school choice in Saskatchewan, Premier Brad Wall announced the government will be invokingĀ the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
This comes in response to a Court of Queen’s Bench ruling on April 20, that would revoke funding for non-Catholic students attending Catholic schools. The Government of Saskatchewan says the ruling could affect up to 10, 000 students and risk provincial funding for 26 other faith based schools.
“We will defend school choice for students and parents. Ā By invoking the notwithstanding clause we are protecting the rights of parents and students to choose the schools that work best for their families, regardless of their religious faith,ā says Premier Brad Wall.
Invoking the clause requires an Act of the Legislative Assembly which Premier Wall says he has asked the Ministers of Education and Justice to begin preparing.
“We wanted to announce this now to provide clarity and provide parents with the assurance that they will be able to continue to choose the kind of school they want their children to attend,ā adds Premier Wall.