Calgary students engaged in a provincewide school walkout on Thursday following the resolution of the Alberta teachers’ strike. The organization Alberta Students for Teachers coordinated the walkouts at various high schools in the city. Arya Mishra, a Grade 12 student at William Aberhart High School and one of the organizers, emphasized the importance of student voices being heard during the protest.
After the provincial government introduced 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 led over 50,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association to go on strike about three weeks prior.
The student protesters aimed to express solidarity with teachers and advocated for initiatives like classroom caps and optional January diplomas. An online petition requesting the optional status of Alberta’s January 2026 diploma exams has garnered over 27,000 signatures. Despite the return to school mandated by the back-to-work legislation, students like Mishra expressed frustration over the lack of changes.
In addition to Calgary, students across southern Alberta participated in the provincewide walkout. In Canmore, about 120 students from Canmore Collegiate High School joined the protest, while approximately 50 students from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute took part in their school’s walkout. These students viewed the walkouts as a means to amplify the conversation on teachers’ rights and the impact of the back-to-work legislation.
Organizers emphasized the importance of standing up for constitutional rights and being informed citizens. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides acknowledged students’ right to peaceful assembly but emphasized the importance of being in class. The Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District stated that participating in the protests would not be considered an excused absence and urged students to prioritize their learning.
As students continue to advocate for their beliefs, the walkouts serve as a platform for expressing their solidarity with teachers and their concerns about educational policies in Alberta.