A Saskatoon-based private vocational school will not be operating this upcoming school year as directed by the provincial government. The Saskatoon School of Horticulture Inc. has been denied a renewal of registration by the Ministry of Advanced Education and has been instructed to cease operation as a Category I school in Saskatchewan.

As to the particulars of why the school was denied registration, the Ministry of Advanced Education provided the following statement.

“The Saskatoon School of Horticulture has demonstrated an ongoing pattern of non-compliance with the legislative requirements in ‘The Private Vocational Schools Regulation Act, 1995’ and ‘The Private Vocational Schools Regulations, 2014’. The Ministry has been dealing with the school regarding a number of regulatory issues over several years.”

The school, which offered several courses including, landscape designer, golf course manager, parks and recreation supervisory and landscape construction foreman, started operating in 2005 in stated their mission was to “deliver effective and efficient education in the horticultural industry by facilitating an integrated, sustainable approach to horticultural training and education systems and outcomes that effectively match the demonstrated need by the industry”.

The Ministry states it’s responsibility is to ensure private vocational schools provide training by an institution that is:
• financially stable
• offers quality curriculum and instruction
• prepares students for the workforce in an environment that supports their success

Patricia Hanbidge, founder of the Saskatoon School of Horticulture, was recently quoted stating she was surprised by the decision and that the school had received positive reviews of the school's programs two years prior. 

In response to Hanbidge's claims, the Ministry issued the following statement to West Central Online, this afternoon.

"The Ministry made its decision to not renew the license after careful consideration of all the regulatory matters in this case and we remain confident in our decision. Registered schools are required to comply with The Private Vocational Schools Regulation Act, 1995 and The Private Vocational Schools Regulations, 2014, and must maintain compliance with legislation. The school has demonstrated an ongoing pattern of non-compliance with numerous legislative requirements. The Ministry has received an unusually high number of complaints from students who have attended the school, and has been dealing with the school regarding a number of regulatory issues over several years. Over the past several years the Ministry corresponded and held meetings with the operator, and also provided the operator with the opportunity to be heard with regard to the regulatory matters that had been identified before we made this decision. The Ministry does not take decisions like this lightly."

The non-renewal of the Certificate of Registration means the school cannot accept new students into registered programs and prevents students from applying for student loans.

The Ministry states they will be contacting individuals affected by the non-renewal and said they will make every effort to minimize the impact on the students.