Alberta Students Stage Provincewide Walkout in Support of Teachers
Calgary students joined a provincewide school walkout on Thursday, demonstrating their support for teachers following the conclusion of the Alberta teachers' strike. The protest was organized by Alberta Students for Teachers, a group that aimed to give students a platform to express their views on the ongoing issues surrounding the strike.
Arya Mishra, a Grade 12 student at William Aberhart High School and an organizer with Alberta Students for Teachers, emphasized the importance of students voicing their opinions. "Politicians and many folk are saying things that are supposedly coming from students," she said. "I have yet to see many students really repeat those same statements."
The walkout took place after the provincial government introduced back-to-work legislation for striking teachers, which included invoking the notwithstanding clause. This move ended the job action that had seen over 50,000 members of the Alberta Teachers' Association go on strike for three weeks.
Mishra and her fellow protesters made it clear they stood with the teachers. Many students protested outside their schools, while others, such as those from Western Canada and St. Mary's High School, gathered at city hall in downtown Calgary.
"We understand why the strike happened," Mishra said. "We want classroom caps, and we want January diplomas to be optional." An online petition calling for Alberta's January 2026 diploma exams to be made optional has already received over 27,000 signatures. The province had previously announced that November diploma exams for Grade 12 students would be optional about two weeks into the strike.
"Now, because of the back-to-work legislation, we are back to school, and no changes have been made," said Mishra. "That is frustrating to students."
Vaishnavi Venkateshwaran, another organizer with Alberta Students for Teachers and a Grade 12 student at Sir Winston Churchill High School, highlighted the constitutional concerns surrounding the back-to-work legislation. "No matter what your political affiliation is ... we have a duty to stand up for those rights," she said. "If we take this lying down, it's a precedent that we will take this lying down for anything in the future."
"As a Grade 12 student and as a future voter myself, I have a duty to be educated, and I have a duty to fight for what I believe in," she added. "I think that's something that a lot of students really feel the same way."
Students Across Southern Alberta Join the Protest
The walkout was not limited to Calgary; students across southern Alberta also participated in the provincewide event. In Canmore, approximately 120 students walked out of Canmore Collegiate High School on Thursday.
At Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, Grade 11 student Mairi Webb was among about 50 students who took part in the school's walkout. She expressed the importance of students outside major centres being part of the conversation. "It may not matter to Danielle Smith herself, but I think it'll show the public ... how important teachers' rights are to us," Webb said.
Fellow Grade 11 student Rose McNee shared similar sentiments, stating that if actions like this walkout don't make a difference, "I'm going bigger."
Official Response to the Walkout
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides acknowledged the right of students to peacefully assemble and protest but emphasized the importance of attending class. "Students have a variety of ways they can express themselves, and we will always respect their right to peacefully assemble and protest. However, it is important for them to be in class, and not disrupt their own learning or that of others," he said in an emailed statement.
The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) confirmed that protests were taking place but did not support the walkouts. "It is a regular school day and students are expected to be in class unless excused by a parent or guardian," the CBE stated. "The top priority for schools this week is reconnecting with students and ensuring a smooth transition back to learning."
The CCSD clarified that protesting does not meet the criteria for an excused absence under the provincial Education Act. "Students who participate will not be supervised by teachers or administrators," the board said. "Any student’s participation in this event will result in an unexcused absence."
The CBE also indicated that any missed classes due to the walkout would be marked as unexcused absences.