One-on-One with Saskatchewan Education Minister Everett Hindley

By: Lynn Redl, STF Communications

“It’s been a very rewarding experience thus far, over the past number of weeks and months that I’ve been able to serve as Minister,” Hindley says. “I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to engage with stakeholders, including teachers, along with those involved in school divisions and school boards around the province, and most importantly, with parents and families, about our education system in Saskatchewan.”

Hindley got his start in politics serving as executive assistant to former Premier Brad Wall. He was elected as MLA for Swift Current in a 2018 byelection, then re-elected in the 2020 and 2024 general elections. Hindley joined cabinet in 2020 as Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health, and was named Minister of Health in 2023. He took over the education portfolio in November 2024, just as teachers and the government headed to binding arbitration after the longest job action taken by teachers in Saskatchewan’s history.

“There are some challenges in the system and we’re working very hard to try to address those. It’s why in the current fiscal year we’ve made some significant, major investments into the education system,” explains Hindley. “We know that there’s more work to do, which is why in the throne speech we saw a renewed focus on education.”

The November 2024 throne speech saw the province commit to expanding its specialized support classroom pilot project to 200 more schools across the province, with a focus on improving reading levels in kindergarten to Grade 3. Funding to school divisions was increased to add more teachers and support staff to help meet the pressures of growing student enrolment and address the challenges of class complexity.

“We’ve heard and seen some excellent feedback from the initial pilot projects. I’ve had the opportunity to visit one of those classrooms already, see the results first hand, and talk to the teachers about how it works and how it’s been able to benefit students. I look forward to visiting more of these programs,” says Hindley, who grew up on a family farm in northeast Saskatchewan and attended elementary school in Melfort.

While the throne speech pointed to positive improvements coming to public education in Saskatchewan, data from a recent pan-Canadian survey of educators painted a vivid picture of poor working and learning conditions both across the country and in Saskatchewan. When asked to describe their feelings about working in public education, 44 percent of Saskatchewan respondents said “I am feeling exhausted” while another 30 percent said “I am feeling overwhelmed.”

“What is important is making sure that that we’re collaborating with teachers and saying, ‘OK, let’s have a look at what some of the challenges are in your profession and in your career, and how can we work together to help find some solutions to these.’ I’m looking forward to working with teachers to see how we can address some of these issues when it comes to some of the challenges they face, whether it’s working conditions, the size and the complexity of classrooms, issues around violence and aggression that are growing in schools, and concerns around prep time. I’m looking forward to being able to collaborate with teachers to find some solutions,” Hindley says.

“With a growing province and a growing population, we see that when it comes to both our education system and health care, we know that the provincial government can’t be – as much as we’d like to be – the source of funding all the asks. That’s where some of the difficult choices come in, but that’s where we try to work with our partners and say, ‘How can we best suit your needs with the resources we have available?’” says Hindley, who has a seven-year-old grandson currently in public education in Saskatchewan.

While he’s only been on the job for a few months, Hindley notes that he’s keen to build strong relationships within the public education sector in his new role.
“What stands out to me is the passion involved, how everyone that’s involved in the education system really does truly care about providing the best possible education system we can for the students in our province,” he says. “I’m hopeful and very much looking forward to a positive working relationship in the months ahead.”

From Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation Bulletin – Spring 2025