The Saskatchewan Government is expressing disappointment in the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation after they say they feel the organization left the bargaining table.

The Federation will implement sanctions on extra-curricular activities starting Thursday over a fallout in contract negotiations.

The disagreement comes over classroom composition. Hanging in the balance of the negotiation is an increase in funding to accommodate education professionals to help students in the classroom.

Yesterday, the STF stated that the government refuses to address a problem despite recognizing it.

READ MORE: STF to Implement Sanctions After Government Negotiations

In a media scrum yesterday, Gordon Wyant, the minister of education, said that they don't have any meetings planned between the two parties yet to discuss the contract following the walkout from the STF.

"We've extended the invitation to return to the bargaining table to talk about the new mandate, they're not interested in talking to us about that. Right now the invitation is open, we would hope that they would come back to the table to start those conversations."

"We have made a new offer to the teachers, we're prepared to table that at the committee," Wyant noted. "So it's the union that's walked away from these negotiations, it's the union that's walked away from the children in our classrooms, and that's disappointing."

He said that they were concerned with a full strike, but focused on the already-planned disruptions to extra-curricular activities and the specifics of the negotiations.

The negotiation dispute surrounds an offer for the Saskatchewan Government to give the STF $25-million over five years, and for the STF to match that to make the distribution $10-million per year.

Wyant said that some time ago, that was a suggestion tabled by the STF.

The STF is advocating for a deal of $100 million over three years.

Wyant said that planning needs to be completed before a significant amount of money could be handed out.

"We said that we don't have, necessarily, a path forward in terms of how we're going to deal with the systemic issues in the classroom around complexity," he said. "I think that we need to do that before we start committing significant funds... [$10 million a year] would be a very, very good start in terms of having access to the professionals that schools need to deal with the issues in the classroom."

"This wasn't an idea that we were going to solve all the problems overnight, and I don't think it's realistic to assume that we can do that without having a proper plan forward."

Wyant said that the $10-million per year would go towards support staff for schools across Saskatchewan for which applications would be accepted from schools.

Chinook School Division spoke out in regards to the negotiations and the impending sanctions at a media scrum in Swift Current yesterday.

Director of Education with the division, Kyle McIntyre, said that Chinook was prepared for the sanctions.

"We're disappointed that this is the way that things have had to go. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about it at our division level. So we have to respect the process that's been put in place. We have to respect the STF's position. And hope that the STF can work something out so that kids aren't going to lose a provincial, regional basketball [tournament], or HOOPLA, which is probably the largest SHSAA event in the province."

Chinook stated that, upon hearing word of any developments in job action, families and staff will be informed by division personnel.

READ MORE: Chinook School Division Prepared for Work to Rule

READ MORE: SHSAA Basketball Regionals Left Hanging in the Balance with Looming Teacher Job Action