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Vol. 63, Issue 107
www.dailytownsman.com
ARNE PETRYSHEN PHOTO
DON’T PUT US IN THE MIDDLE: Students at Parkland Middle School walked out of class Wednesday, June 4, to protest the ongoing labour dispute between the B.C. government and the B.C. Teachers Federation.
Students point out their own position Parkland Middle School students protested continuing unrest in B.C. schools as teachers and government deal with rotating strikes and a partial lockout
SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
Students at Parkland Middle School in Cranbrook joined their peers across B.C. on Wednesday in a school walkout
protesting the impacts of the continued dispute between teachers and the province. The province-wide walkout, hastily organized via social media
this week, saw students leave class at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning to show their frustration with limited access to teachers and loss of class time during the
rotating one-day strikes and partial lockout that began last week. School students say they feel caught in the middle in the battle over a new contract cur-
rently being negotiated by the B.C. Teachers Federation and the B.C. government over wage increases, class sizes and class composition. In Cranbrook, be-
PACs, trustees speak up on teacher/gov’t fight SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
Two groups caught in the middle of the battle between the B.C. government and teachers are speaking out and asking for a negotiated
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settlement soon. The B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC) released a statement on Monday, June 2 calling for an immediate end to the rotating strike and
lockout action because of its impact on students. According to the BCCPAC, the feud is having a detrimental effect on the most vulnerable students by denying them
the help they need from teachers at this critical time of year, said president Terry Berting. It’s also causing financial hardship for struggling families. “Successful out-
comes for all students – not just those graduating from Grade 12 – are being affected by this labour dispute,” he said. “This has got to stop.”
See PACS, Page 5
tween 40 and 50 students at Parkland Middle School took part in the walkout Wednesday, carrying signs that read, “Don’t put us in the middle”, “We care about our education – give us our civil rights”, and, “Our education is at risk! Kids matter! Put an end to this!” Principal Scott Holt said he spoke to many students before the walkout to urge them to take more appropriate measures to get their point across. “I’ve had a lot of conversations. We were telling kids: I get where you are coming from; there are other ways that you could protest
and have your voices heard without putting yourself and your school at risk. Write a letter to the MLA or the premier; protest at lunch when it’s not school time; maybe you could join the teachers, depending on where you sit on the issue. There are lots of other options,” he said. Parents spoke up to support the students’ decision to walkout. Karen Johnston’s son Reyce, a Grade 8 student at Parkland, approached his parents the night before the walkout to ask permission.
See STUDENTS , Page 3
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