Students with Intensive Needs Initiative
In 2024–25, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission heard a growing number of concerns about the exclusion and partial exclusion of students with disabilities from schools across the province. Exclusion practices – ranging from shortened days and modified schedules, to repeated removals or complete denial of access – have emerged as a significant issue affecting students with intensive support needs.
The Saskatchewan Human RIghts Code, 2018, requires all schools in Saskatchewan to fully accommodate students with disabilities, up to the point of undue hardship.
A report by Inclusion Saskatchewan, Unseen Impacts: The Reality of School Exclusion for Disabled Students in Saskatchewan, estimated that 1,250 to 1,350 students were partially or fully excluded during the 2024–25 school year. Exclusion occurred across 18 school divisions, with some divisions excluding as many as 23% of students requiring intensive support. The findings became public only through access-to-information requests due to the absence of a provincial framework for tracking exclusion.
The Commission has collaborated closely with Inclusion Saskatchewan on this initiative. The two organizations began meeting in April 2024 to better understand the scope and impacts of exclusion. In December 2025, ahead of the release of Unseen Impacts, the Commission met with Inclusion Saskatchewan to review emerging findings and determine the direction of the initiative. This collaboration has been essential in shaping the Commission’s systemic work and ensuring the lived experiences of families remain central.
On February 3, 2026, the Commission and Inclusion Saskatchewan co-hosted a virtual Town Hall meeting attended by 131 participants. The following week, the Commission provided a presentation on student exclusion to principals in the Northwest School Division.
The Commission will continue engaging with families, educators, Inclusion Saskatchewan, and other stakeholders as the initiative moves forward.
Current Status: Research and information gathering.