Friday Might Become Last Day of B.C. School Year

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Thursday or today might just be the last day of the school year for many B.C. students unless the government and the teachers’ association strike a deal. According to a notice served earlier, all B.C. public schools will be closed from Monday onwards as teachers continue their rotating strikes. The teachers’ union, namely the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, have provided notice for a full-scale strike to commence on Tuesday.

On the other hand, in light of a Labour Relations Board ruling, the province asserts that final exams will take place for students in Grades 10 to 12 despite the strike. According to a labour board ruling on Thursday, it was decided that even though teachers are on strike, they must be available to give the exams and to submit final Grade 12 marks. The ruling was reached in response to an application by the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, which negotiates with the BCTF on behalf of the provincial government. Consequently, school districts are advised to consult with union locals on the number of teachers needed to stage exams from Monday through June 24 “following the deployment of excluded and management personnel to the best extent possible.”

However, Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association president, Benula Larsen, claims that teachers might not be needed to give the exams. Whereas, Premier Christy Clark also accepted that parents have had little time to prepare for a full strike. She said that “it’s an example of how these disputes do not serve the kids well” because “they put children in the middle of this fight, that is a fight between adults.”