Sask. distance learning Crown could save public school divisions $13 million: province

Early success of Sask. distance learning centre WATCH: Over 500 employment applications were submitted since the launch of the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre.

As one of Saskatchewan’s newest Crown corporations recruitment launched one month ago, many educators have peaked interest in working in a remote model.

That’s according to a press release Tuesday, which outlines the early successes of the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (Sask. DLC). Since recruitment launched, the Ministry of Education said over 500 employment applications were submitted.

Of the over 500 applicants, 129 educators, superintendents and principal positions have been filled with an additional 30 teaching vacancies yet to be hired on.

Employment opportunities are available at Sask. DLC’s main campus in Kenaston, along with its nine remote regional campuses located in Estevan, La Ronge, Moose Jaw, Neilburg, Nipawin, Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Yorkton.

“I think more and more students are looking at having a greater availability of options when it comes to the courses that they have access to, as well as perhaps having access to teachers that they might not have access to,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said on Tuesday, following session.

The minister added that he believes in class learning is important for students, but acknowledged that it isn’t for everyone.

“Perhaps electives that they don't have access to with their home school and incorporating in class learning and online learning. I think, as technology is changing, as [students], as education is becoming more personalized, and in terms of students looking at what their interests are, I think that online learning is here to stay,” Duncan added.

Duncan continued to say that distance learning will become more integrated into the every day in-class learning.

He said in the past, with online delivery done by school divisions — or groups of school divisions — may have hindered course selection.

“It was varied across the province. So this is going to provide from K to 12 about 180 courses, regardless of where students live in the province,” Duncan explained.

“It's going to provide resources to school divisions that in the past have funded their own online school. They'll keep that funding, but now they can redirect those resources back into their classrooms.”

Course selection with Sask. DLC include high school electives such as Agriculture and Sustainable Food Production, Communications Media, Creative Writing, Drafting CAD, Financial Literacy, Hairstyling and Esthetics, Law, Mental Wellness, Photography, Psychology and Wildlife Management.

It is all expected to be fully operational by next fall.

Duncan added that Sask. DLC may also help with issues such as budgetary constraints at the division level.

“It's going to mean teachers that are going to be freed up to get back into the classrooms across public school divisions. We think for the public school divisions, it'll save about $13 million in operations that will no longer be borne by the public school divisions, and it could be in the neighborhood of 250 teachers that they continue to have funding for, but now don't have the expense related to online learning,” Duncan explained.

“This is an opportunity I think, once divisions fully grasp what this actually means for them. I think that you're going to see a pretty large scale redeploying of teachers.”