School's Out? BC Teachers To Vote on Full Strike Effective June 16

Teachers in British Columbia are expected to vote Monday and Tuesday whether to escalate their current job action to a full strike, and the Ministry of Education is preparing parents for a sudden end to this school year.

In a bulletin issued Sunday, the Ministry of Education and the British Columbia Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA) say they “want to assure parents that every effort is being made to ensure the strike does not disadvantage students, nor delay their transition to the next grade or on to post-secondary.”

Kindergarten through Grade 9 students and their parents are cautioned that, in addition to all schools being closed and alternative child care needing to be secured, report cards will go out, though they will likely be less detailed than usual.

Students in Grades 10, 11, and 12 will be able to take exams, however the administration of those exams will be the sole function of the schools during the strike. Picketers may be present at school sites where students are slated to write exams.The Ministry adds those exam marks and final course marks will be “conveyed to students and parents in a timely way.”

It sounds a bit easier than it is actually going to be to achieve, according to Vancouver school board chairwoman Patti Bacchus, who told the Vancouver Sun finding appropriate supervisors for the exams, and subject-savvy exam markers poses a challenge.

The rotating teachers’ strike is in its third week. Should teachers vote in approval of an escalated walkout, schools will close as of June 16, nine school days early for the year. Provincial exams run June 16-26.

Image: Strike via Shutterstock