With the threat of a strike by Alberta’s 51,000 teachers within days of becoming a reality, dozens of Calgary high school students staged a walkout Friday to show their support for more education funding from the province.
With no new negotiations between the Alberta Teachers Association and the provincial government scheduled, it appears teachers will begin job action at 12 a.m. on Monday.
While the province says it will be offering students and parents a home curriculum that can help them continue learning during the strike, the students who walked out of class say they’re frustrated and concerned about the long-term impacts of a walkout.
A group of students gather on a sidewalk outside St. Francis High School in northwest Calgary, calling for more funding for education, and expressing their concerns over the long term impact a teachers strike could have on their education.
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“It could interfere with graduating. It could intervene with diplomas,” said Lillian Gardippie, a Grade 12 student at St. Francis High School in northwest Calgary.
“I just hope the teachers get what they deserve and the students as well don’t get punished for the consequences of what the teachers are doing,” added Gardippie.
Lillian Gardippie, a grade 12 student at St. Francis High School says it is students who will suffer the consequences of the dispute between teachers and the province.
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“Lots of people view this as, oh yeah, it’s like a spring break. It’s not. This is not great for our education,” said Savannah Vloervegh, who is also a Grade 12 student at St. Francis.
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She says the province’s education system needs more funding.
“Our classes are full, and it’s harder for teachers to teach people that need more attention.”
“I really want the teachers to get what they need because they’re way too underpaid,” said Shayla Eyk.
“My class is really overfilled. There is barely any space between the rows of desks. And it’s just like way too many people in the class. My teachers need more money and more support.”
At Joane Cardinal-Schubert High School, in the south Calgary community of Seton, about 100 students marched in support of the teachers and more funding for education.
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At Joane Cardinal-Schubert High School in south Calgary, about 100 students marched in support of the teachers.
Grade 11 student Bailey McQuarrie says she hopes the show of support for teachers provides “motivation for the government to pay them fairly.”
Just the threat of a strike, she says, is already having an impact because of all the extracurricular activities that have been cancelled.
“We had a band camp and choir camp that we were going to go on — it’s top tier, its the greatest experience a kid could ever have in high school, and both of those had to be cancelled because of the teachers going on strike.”
Marina Hughes, who has a son in kindergarten, said she’s anxious about how long the strike will last and the impact it will have.
“He’s wondering when he’s going back to school. I don’t know, either. We really don’t. So, he’s a little confused. I think we’re all a little bit confused. We all support the teachers,” said Hughes.
Calgary parent, Marina Hughes, who has a son in kindergarten, says she supports the teachers, but is anxious about how long a strike could last and the impact it will have.
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“It’s just tough for the parents, right? They’ve got to rearrange their life and everything. Thankfully, I’m a stay-at-home mom, so I can make plans easier. But I’m assuming everything is going to be busy around the city. So, yeah, we’ll see how it goes.”
The province has offered teachers a 12 per cent pay hike over four years along with a promise to hire 3,000 more teachers to address growing class sizes, as well as free COVID shots.
However, in a vote last weekend, the teachers voted almost 90 per cent against the offer, setting the stage for the strike to begin on Monday, barring any last-minute breakthrough.
The walkout would affect more than 700,000 students across 2,500 public, separate and francophone schools.
Reacting to an inquiry from Global News, a spokesperson in the office of Alberta Finance Minister, Nate Horner, sent a statement that says, “TEBA (Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association) is ready, willing and able to get back to the table to come to a fair deal for our teachers at any time, once the ATA has consulted with their members on a reasonable deal.”
“The onus is on ATA leadership to determine what supports teachers are actually looking for,” the statement added. “TEBA has submitted a formal letter to the ATA asking them to come back to the table with creative solutions. We are waiting for the ATA’s response. Our goal is always to keep our kids in school.”
The Alberta Teachers Association says it and the Government of Alberta have “resumed exploratory conversations with regard to … a negotiated settlement.”
However, the ATA says “the strike has not been averted” and “teachers will be commencing job action on Monday, Oct. 6.
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