Students from several Airdrie schools joined peers across Alberta in province-wide walkouts Thursday, rallying in support of teachers and protesting the government’s Back to School Act, which ordered teachers back to work under the notwithstanding clause. Grade 12 student Amélie Baskerville said she and her classmates wanted to show solidarity with teachers after three weeks of strike disruption. “Teachers have always been a very crucial point in my life. Most of my biggest supports ever have been teachers,” Baskerville said in an interview Wednesday, prior to the walkout. “We agreed they deserve a fair deal, a fair wage, a cap on class sizes, and the walkout was ultimately planned after the UCP invoked the notwithstanding clause, which forced teachers back to work without a fair deal.” Baskerville, who hopes to pursue a career in education, said overcrowded classrooms have become routine. “My current English 30-1 class — we’re sitting at just under 40 kids,” she said. “There was also … a French social-studies class where there were 35 kids, and for the first week there were not enough desks … a bunch of kids had to stand along the wall to learn.” She said that large classes affect the amount of help students can receive. “I haven’t been able to have as much one-on-one communication with my teachers about certain assignments,” she said. “Feedback on essays can be very limited at times … teachers have almost 100 essays they have to grade within a week.” Baskerville said students wanted to highlight that “class sizes are out of control” and that “teachers honestly aren’t getting fair wages with the increases in inflation.” “We as students deserve the best education possible and the best possible funding for that education,” she said. When asked about criticism that students should stay in class to make up lost instructional time, Baskerville replied: “We have already been out of school for three weeks due to no fair deal being met. So how much harm is one more day out of class really going to do to us?” She added that administrators did not oppose the demonstration. “Nothing negative has been said … If anything, we’ve just been told, stay safe and use common sense while you’re doing this.” Baskerville also spoke about the broader impact teachers have had on her personally. “I’ve definitely struggled with mental health in the past,” she said. “My teachers helped me get through that point where I thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ They taught me to advocate for myself and reminded me that I can do this.” At another Airdrie school, Grade 11 student Nuri Lee said students at St. Martin de Porres High School also took part in Thursday’s province-wide action but remained on school grounds. Lee said she began an email campaign encouraging students across several Alberta communities to write to their MLAs, calling for smaller class sizes and more classroom support. “I began an email campaign to send to my MLA,” Lee said in an interview with DiscoverAirdrie on Wednesday. “I then moved on to create and share that template across Airdrie, Cochrane, Calgary, Edmonton, Chestermere, Red Deer and Okotoks.” She said class sizes are a concern. “My physics 20 class has 36 students,” she said. “We are speeding through it because we don’t have much time left and our final exam hasn’t been cancelled yet.” Lee added that students are worried about diploma exams after the recent disruption. “I’m taking a diploma exam for Math 30-1 this semester,” she said. “Students are looking for consideration on our diploma exams because we missed a lot last time too.” She said the government needs to place greater emphasis on the classroom. “The government needs to support classrooms and our educators,” Lee said. “Education is the foundation for a good society.” She added that teachers at her school devote many hours outside class supporting students. “They spend hours of their time coaching, holding extracurriculars, marking assignments and supporting our school community,” Lee said. “Taking part in the walkout was one of our ways of reciprocating their kindness.” In a note to DiscoverAirdrie on Thursday afternoon, she estimated that around 80 students had participated in the walk-out. Other schools, including W.H. Croxford High School and Good Shepherd School, also reportedly participated in the walkout. Students from École des Hautes Plaines, ranging from grade 10 to 12, also held a walkout. Legislative background The walkouts came one day after students returned to class following a nearly month-long teachers’ strike. The Back to School Act, passed in the early-morning hours of Oct. 28, 2025, ended the job action by the Alberta Teachers’ Association and imposed new four-year collective agreements between school boards and teachers. According to the legislation: “The purpose of this Act is to end the strike by the employees that started on October 6, 2025 and lockout by the TEBA that started on October 9, 2025 by establishing the central terms and local terms of new collective agreements under this Act.” (s. 2) The Act further states that it “shall operate notwithstanding sections 2 and 7 to 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Alberta Bill of Rights, and the Alberta Human Rights Act.” (s. 3) Under section 7, teachers were ordered to “terminate the strike … and without delay, resume performance of the employee’s duties,” while section 8 makes it an offence for any person or the ATA to “call or authorize, or threaten to call or authorize, a strike by any employee.” Violations can result in fines of up to $500 for individuals or $500 000 for organizations (s. 10(2)). Each new “legislated collective agreement” established under section 6 is effective Sept. 1 2024 and expires Aug. 31 2028. Government and ATA response In a statement posted to social media Tuesday, Premier Danielle Smith said the Back to School Act would “end disruption for families and put the focus back where it belongs: on students.” “Teachers have made it clear that classroom complexity and safety are among the most critical challenges in our education system,” Smith wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “We are strengthening classroom supports, hiring 3,000 new teachers and 1,500 education assistants, and acting on the recommendations of the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team.” She added that the province “will continue to work with teachers to find lasting, practical solutions so every educator has the support they need and every student can learn in a safe, supportive environment.” “Parents, teachers and students all want the same thing – classrooms where every child can find success,” Smith said. The Alberta Teachers’ Association condemned the legislation, saying teachers were “devastated” that the government chose to invoke the notwithstanding clause to end the strike. “Teachers are being forced back and saddled with the very collective agreement that 90 per cent of them rejected only a month ago — an agreement that they said, loudly and clearly, does not meet the needs of their students, their classrooms or their profession,” said ATA president Jason Schilling in an Oct. 28 news release. “By invoking the notwithstanding clause, this government has done more than silence teachers and school leaders; it has silenced democracy itself.” “Teachers will comply with the law, but make no mistake — compliance is not consent. The Association will fight this abuse of power with every tool the law provides and every ounce of conviction we possess.” On Wednesday, following the government’s announcement reinstating the collection of class-size data, the ATA welcomed the decision and said it is prepared to work with the province on the new Class Size and Complexity Task Force. “The government has listened to the voices of teachers and Albertans over the past three weeks and has finally decided to reinstate the collection of class size data,” the ATA said Oct. 29. “This vital information is needed to understand the classroom complexities experienced by teachers and students every day … We look forward to the changes that will occur in Alberta’s classrooms based on this new data.” “The ATA is prepared to work with the government on the Class Size and Complexity Task Force, as this work must meaningfully include teachers’ professional expertise and lived experiences. Without the voice of teachers, any proposed solutions will fail to reflect the realities of Alberta’s classrooms.” Provincial initiatives From a news release Oct. 29 titled Better data, better outcomes for Alberta students, the province said it will begin collecting annual data on class sizes and composition to help address classroom complexity. School boards must submit the information by Nov. 24, with results to be made public in January and updated annually. “We are ready to work with school boards and teachers to address classroom complexity and class sizes,” said Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides. “We have heard them loud and clear and we are taking bold action to address these issues.” Over the next three years, funding will support the hiring of 3,000 teachers and 1,500 education assistants for students with complex needs. “This data will provide essential insight into classroom realities, guiding evidence-based decisions and advocating for sustainable funding to address complexity, ensuring every student and educator in Alberta has the support to thrive,” said Mike McMann, College of Alberta School Superintendents. Wider reaction The government’s use of the notwithstanding clause in Bill 2 has drawn criticism from human-rights advocates and local politicians. In a statement posted Oct. 28, Amnesty International Canada said Alberta’s action “continues an alarming trend of provincial governments putting political expediency ahead of people’s human rights.” “We urge the Alberta government to turn the tide by removing the notwithstanding clause from its education bill and commit to only advancing legislation that complies with the Charter and upholds Albertans’ human rights,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section. Amnesty said the inclusion of the clause means “the courts won’t be able to strike down the law even if it is found to unjustifiably violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” adding that “the right to strike is protected by the Charter and under international law.” “By targeting teachers, the Government of Alberta is attempting to silence workers exercising their rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to strike,” Nivyabandi said. “An attack on their rights is an attack on us all.” She noted the legislation “disproportionately harms the rights of women workers,” citing ATA data showing about two-thirds of Alberta’s teachers are women. “We stand in solidarity with the teachers of Alberta and support your right to strike,” she said. “By organizing to improve your working conditions, you have set an example for the rest of Canada.” Airdrie-Cochrane Independent MLA Peter Guthrie, who was removed from the UCP caucus earlier this year, also criticized the use of the clause. In a Facebook post that included video of his Legislature speech, Guthrie said Bill 2 “abandons fairness, erodes trust and deepens the issues in our education system.” “Teachers didn’t choose this fight. They were pushed into it by overcrowded classrooms, unsupported students, and by a government that treats education as a political arena instead of a trusted institution,” he said. He argued that legislating teachers back to work “doesn’t hire a single new EA … it imposes compliance and calls it a solution.” “The notwithstanding clause was meant for rare, exceptional cases — not a political weapon,” Guthrie wrote. “By invoking the clause to force teachers back to work, the government chose control over collaboration … Forcing compliance isn’t leadership – it’s constitutional abuse.” School-division guidance Rocky View Schools (RVS) said in an email on Wednesday that its direction to administrators remains unchanged. “Rocky View Schools (RVS) provides consistent direction to school administrators for student walkouts. While these events are not RVS-sanctioned, students who choose to participate are not penalized. Staff are expected to maintain a neutral stance, and teaching staff remain with students who stay in class. Supervision during walkouts, if required, is managed by administrative or support staff to ensure student safety. “RVS does not organize or facilitate protest activities, and schools are advised not to direct them unless a safety concern arises. “We do not intend to change guidance at this time.” The Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) provided similar guidance in an email on Tuesday. “...October 29 [was] a regular instructional day at all Calgary Catholic School District schools,” said Joanna French, senior communications specialist. “We recognize the important role that Catholic schools play in creating a strong democracy and the rights of students. While we support student voice and student engagement, students and parents/guardians need to be aware that a student walkout is not endorsed nor sanctioned by our district. “According to the Alberta Education Act, excused absences are only identified as sickness or unavoidable causes. Because of this, any student’s participation in a student-led walkout will result in an unexcused absence. We encourage parents/guardians — children’s primary educators — to talk with their children about participating in these activities and the possible consequences.” Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon. Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM. DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app. To hear more on this story and others, stream us live here.