High school students in Calgary participated in a provincewide school walkout on Thursday in response to the resolution of the Alberta teachers’ strike.
Organized by Alberta Students for Teachers, the walkouts took place at various high schools across the city. Arya Mishra, an organizer and Grade 12 student at William Aberhart High School, emphasized that the protest gave students a platform to express their views directly.
According to Mishra, the students wanted to show their support for teachers amidst ongoing discussions surrounding the strike and related legislation. Many students gathered outside their schools, while others, including students from Western Canada and St. Mary’s High School, convened at city hall in downtown Calgary.
Following the government’s introduction of back-to-work legislation for striking teachers on Monday, students returned to school on Wednesday. The legislation, known as Bill 2 or the Back to School Act, brought an end to the job action that had seen over 50,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association go on strike more than three weeks ago.
Mishra highlighted key demands of the student protesters, including the desire for smaller class sizes and the option for January diploma exams to be voluntary. An online petition advocating for the optional status of the January 2026 diploma exams has garnered over 27,000 signatures.
Vaishnavi Venkateshwaran, another organizer with Alberta Students for Teachers and a Grade 12 student at Sir Winston Churchill High School, echoed Mishra’s sentiments, expressing concerns over the perceived infringement of constitutional rights by the back-to-work legislation.
Provincewide Participation in Student Walkout
Outside of Calgary, students in southern Alberta also joined the provincewide walkout. In Canmore, approximately 120 students from Canmore Collegiate High School participated, while around 50 students from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute engaged in the demonstration.
Mairi Webb, a Grade 11 student at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, emphasized the importance of students in smaller communities being part of the conversation surrounding teachers’ rights and the strike.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides acknowledged students’ rights to peaceful assembly and protest but emphasized the importance of attending classes to maintain uninterrupted learning. Both the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) clarified that the protests were not endorsed by the school boards, and students were expected to attend classes unless excused by a parent or guardian.
