Teachers, students, and parents are gearing up for a return to school this week following provincial directives ordering teachers back to work. Schools across Alberta are set to reopen on Wednesday after the implementation of the Back to School Act, which put an end to a teachers’ strike that commenced in early October. The legislation compelled teachers to return to work by establishing a collective agreement and utilizing the notwithstanding clause to protect it from legal challenges for the duration of a four-year deal.
Over 51,000 teachers represented by the Alberta Teachers’ Association went on strike on October 6, leading to the cancellation of classes for approximately 750,000 students across public, Catholic, and francophone schools. Both the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) have notified parents of their plans to reopen schools to students on Wednesday, with the CCSD indicating that student teachers will return to schools during the week of November 3.
Various school boards, including those in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Rocky View, Foothills, Grasslands, and Canadian Rockies, intend to resume classes as scheduled on Wednesday. The province has made the November diploma exams for Grade 12 students optional due to the strike. Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling has advocated for a similar consideration for the exams scheduled in January, citing concerns from some teachers about the lost time during the strike.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides expressed intentions to decide in the coming days on whether Grade 12 diploma exams and provincial assessment tests for grades 6 and 9 students will still be mandatory. Nicolaides assured parents of the province’s commitment to collaborating with school boards to support student success throughout the academic year. The Parent Payment Program, initiated during the strike, will continue to accept applications until November 14, with the first payments scheduled for Friday.
Although classes are resuming on Wednesday, the CBE has cautioned parents that extracurricular activities may not immediately return to normal. The CBE emphasized that teachers will prioritize teaching, potentially leading to delays, rescheduling, or cancellations of extracurriculars and events. School buses are expected to operate on Wednesday, with the CBE advising parents to anticipate delays and avoid leaving children unaccompanied at bus stops.
Some parents in Alberta have expressed mixed feelings about the return to school, with concerns about the learning environment following the strike. While some, like Rita Scalise, are relieved to see students back in classrooms, others, such as Locke Spencer, remain disappointed with the government’s intervention in the teachers’ strike, emphasizing unresolved issues within classrooms. Nicolaides, in a letter to parents, highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance the education system and address concerns raised by stakeholders.