One day in advance of a two-day teachers’ strike, students have walked out of the classroom.
Overnight a group of Carlton High School Students came together on Facebook and called for their classmates to take action.
Today at 11 a.m., what started as a handful of students turned into a crowd of about 75 carrying signs that read “We need our education,” and “Our grad matters.”
“Our voices as students don’t really get heard. All the teachers are planning their strike for Wednesday and Thursday and nobody really thinks about how that affects us as students,” said Anthony Prokopie, a Grade 12 student who spoke on behalf of student demonstrators.
“Yes we do support our teachers,” Prokopie said
“But I think there could have been a better time to do this negotiating than a month before graduation when we really need to finish our education.”
Katlin John Meyer created the Facebook page that spurred the student walkout. He said he supports the teachers and what they are wanting, but he’s not OK with the timing.
Meyer said Grade 12 students who are struggling with their grades really need the time that’s been lost in contract breakdowns to graduate.
Prokopie said some students who are fine with their grades have said the idea is stupid.
Both Meyer and Prokopie said they recognized the irony in missing class to picket against a strike that would give them less class time.
“There’s two days that were going to de missing and this is only a couple of periods … this is more of our voice because we never get the chance to spread the word,” Meyer said.
Prokopie said he knows some people are just using the demonstration as an excuse to get out of school, but he is not actually missing any class time. He said suspects most students will go back to class after the lunch hour.
Another student strike was held today in Big River with about 25 people. Morgan Olenchuk is one of the organizers. She said they support the teachers walking out for better wages even if it affects her graduating year.
“Their job doesn’t start at nine and end at three like our school day does,” she said.
Word of the student walkout in Big River was spread by a mass text message, and they planned to be walking down Main Street until 2 p.m.
Some of their signs read “Support the teachers, pay the students,” and “Come to a decision so I can graduate.”
Morgan said some of their teachers were upset that they missed classes, but a lot are happy that the students are showing support.
sfroese@panow.com
