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 orchestrated walkouts at various high schools in the city, aimed to provide students with a platform to express their opinions, according to Arya Mishra, an organizer and Grade 12 student at William Aberhart High School.
The students returned to school on Wednesday after the provincial government introduced back-to-work legislation for striking teachers on Monday, utilizing the notwithstanding clause. The Back to School Act, also known as Bill 2, ended the job action that had led to over 50,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association going on strike more than three weeks ago.
Mishra emphasized the solidarity between students and teachers, with many students demonstrating outside their schools, while others, like those from Western Canada and St. Mary’s High School, gathered at city hall in downtown Calgary. The students’ demands included classroom size caps and optional January diplomas.
An online petition advocating for the optional status 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 disappointment that no changes had been implemented.
Vaishnavi Venkateshwaran, another organizer with Alberta Students for Teachers and a Grade 12 student at Sir Winston Churchill High School, shared her perspective on protesting against what she perceives as an infringement on constitutional rights by the government. She believes it is crucial for students to stand up for their beliefs and be informed citizens.
Students from various regions across southern Alberta also participated in the provincewide walkout. In Canmore, approximately 120 students from Canmore Collegiate High School joined the protest. Lethbridge Collegiate Institute saw about 50 Grade 11 students take part in the walkout, with participants like Mairi Webb emphasizing the importance of students from smaller centers contributing to the dialogue.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides acknowledged students’ right to peaceful assembly and protest but stressed the importance of attending classes without disrupting their education or that of others. While the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District recognized the planned protests, they emphasized that students were expected to attend classes unless excused by a parent or guardian.
Both school boards stated that participating in the walkouts would not be considered an excused absence under the provincial Education Act and would result in unexcused absences, with missed classes due to the walkout being marked as unexcused.