Calgary students engaged in a provincewide school walkout on Thursday in response to the conclusion of the Alberta teachers’ strike. Alberta Students for Teachers, a group that coordinated the walkouts at various high schools in the city, aimed to provide students with a platform to express their opinions. Arya Mishra, an organizer from William Aberhart High School and a Grade 12 student, emphasized the significance of students voicing their own thoughts rather than echoing others’ statements.
After the provincial government introduced back-to-work legislation for striking teachers on Monday, which included the use of the notwithstanding clause, students returned to school on Wednesday. The enactment of Bill 2, known as the Back to School Act, signified the end of the job action by over 50,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association who had been on strike for more than three weeks.
Mishra and other demonstrators aimed to show solidarity with teachers and advocate for specific demands, such as classroom size limits and optional January diplomas. An online petition requesting the optional nature of Alberta’s January 2026 diploma exams due to the strike has garnered over 27,000 signatures. Despite the resumption of classes following the back-to-work legislation, Mishra expressed frustration over the lack of substantial changes for students.
Vaishnavi Venkateshwaran, another organizer from Sir Winston Churchill High School and also a Grade 12 student, highlighted the importance of defending constitutional rights in light of the government’s actions. She emphasized the duty of students to be informed and to uphold their beliefs, reflecting a sentiment shared by many students.
In a provincewide initiative, students from various regions in southern Alberta also participated in the walkout. The protest was not limited to Calgary, as demonstrated by the involvement of students from Canmore Collegiate High School and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. These students aimed to emphasize the significance of teachers’ rights and make their voices heard beyond major urban areas.
While students expressed themselves through protests, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides acknowledged their right to assemble peacefully but emphasized the importance of maintaining regular class attendance to ensure uninterrupted learning. The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) clarified that they did not endorse the walkouts and stated that attending classes was the priority for students during the week.
Both school boards cautioned that participating in the protests would not be considered an excused absence under the Education Act and would result in unexcused absences for students. The CBE also specified that any missed classes due to the walkout would be marked as unexcused absences.