Families, students, and educators around the province are getting ready for a return to school following a government-mandated end to a three-week-long strike by Alberta teachers.
School districts are informing parents of the anticipated resumption of classes on Wednesday morning after the approval of Bill 2, also known as the Back to School Act, in the early hours of Tuesday in the legislature.
Teachers have been on strike since October 6 due to a breakdown in contract talks and the rejection of two proposed agreements.
The Edmonton Catholic School Division has communicated that classes will recommence. A similar message was dispatched to parents by the Edmonton Public School Board, indicating a swift return to usual routines as a top priority.
Both the public and Catholic school boards in Calgary, along with Rocky View Schools, have confirmed the reopening of their institutions on Wednesday.
Over 51,000 teachers have been striking, resulting in approximately 750,000 students in public, Catholic, and francophone schools being away from their classrooms.
Sarah Hamilton, an education professor at Mount Royal University, emphasized the varying levels of educational engagement that students have experienced during the strike.
“Not all parents have the flexibility and availability to offer such support to their children,” she remarked.
Hamilton noted that catching up for some students might be a lengthier process. Establishing routines and structure, which she highlighted as essential for children, will also require time.
Transitioning from strike mode to regular teaching duties will be a sudden shift for teachers.
Vanessa Amyotte, a teacher from Spruce Grove and president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Evergreen Catholic Local 44, mentioned that some teachers are likely rushing to prepare lesson plans.
She expressed anticipation for the return to normalcy while acknowledging prevalent discontent over how the contract dispute was managed by the government.
Amyotte likened the government’s approach to bringing a “nuclear bomb to a crayon fight,” leaving teachers with limited time to prepare for the upcoming challenges.
“The government didn’t take into account our need for preparation,” she noted. “So we will arrive tomorrow morning with 35-40 students in our classrooms, all expecting us to have lessons ready.”
In Leduc, Lisa Paradis has been making preparations for this anticipated return. She has been helping her high school-aged children readjust their sleep schedules and keeping them informed about strike developments.
“They missed their friends, they missed their teachers, they missed their routine,” she shared. “They were getting quite bored at home.”
While Paradis’ children are eager to resume classes, she expressed frustration with the situation.
Concerned that her children might have missed vital educational support, Paradis, who serves as an education assistant, observed a decline in such assistance. She plans for her children to wear red upon returning to school.
“I want them to understand that as a parent,