Teachers bid farewell to their students on Friday ahead of a potential strike next week in Alberta, causing uncertainty for over 700,000 children. With 51,000 teachers set to strike, public, Catholic, and francophone schools in the province are expected to shut down on Monday. This situation has left many parents struggling to find childcare and alternative learning solutions.
Meagan Parisian, Vice-President of the Alberta School Councils Association, expressed concerns about the impact of the strike on families. She emphasized the need for the community to come together to support each other during this challenging time. Parisian highlighted the difficulties parents face in arranging childcare, especially with regards to maintaining educational continuity for students, particularly high schoolers preparing for exams and college applications.
Newcomer parents are facing additional challenges, according to Adanech Sahilie, founder of the Immigrant Outreach Society. The organization is receiving numerous calls from parents who are unsure how to manage work and childcare responsibilities during the strike. This situation is particularly daunting for those who recently secured employment and may struggle to afford alternative childcare options.
To assist families affected by the strike, the provincial government in Alberta is offering financial support to parents of children aged 12 and under. Additionally, subsidies for full-time childcare services for children in grades one through six will be increased to summer rates after five consecutive days of strikes. However, not all families will benefit from these support measures, prompting concerns about the impact on students with specialized needs and those older than 12.
Various organizations in Calgary are stepping up to provide daytime programming for students affected by the strike. Additionally, provincial heritage sites and museums are offering free admission to children and teens below 18. Despite these efforts, school boards are notifying families that classes will be paused starting Monday unless a resolution is reached.
For teachers like Marliss Visser, the impending strike has brought emotional challenges as they say goodbye to their students uncertain of when they will meet again. Building trust and routines with students over the past month has made this situation particularly difficult for both educators and children.
