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131 Park Ave. E., Chatham 519-354-4127 batteryboy.ca Mary Beth Corcoran/The Chatham Voice
Chatham-Kent Secondary School students protest Thursday over provincial changes to education.
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Students protest education changes
By Mary Beth Corcoran mary@chathamvoice.com
“Hawks say no!” Students at Chatham-Kent Secondary School got their message across loud and clear Thursday afternoon during a student walk-out in protest of provincial government changes to education, including larger class sizes. Close to 400 students at CKSS left their classes at 1:15 p.m., in solidarity with students at Ursuline College and John McGregor Secondary School in Chatham to garner public support against the education changes.
CKSS student walk-out organizer Emma Kathleen, in Grade 10, said she helped organize the protest because she is very passionate about education. “I believe our students are very valuable, but also one of the most vulnerable demographics because many of us don’t have the right to vote yet. With the increased class sizes, mandatory e-learning, the banning of cell phones, the cuts to specialized education like the arts and cuts to autism-related supports – it’s very disheartening to see our students, who are the future of Ontario, aren’t being
seen as valuable or worth our tax dollars,” Kathleen said in an interview during the protest. She said she felt it depends on the government as to how students are treated or viewed in the province, and some don’t acknowledge the value of student education. “We’re trying to get out of debt; that’s what we’re doing, and cutting essential things like education isn’t the way to do it.” The students were outside the school for one period and encouraged passers by to honk their horns if they supported the reasons for the protest. Continued on page 3
Mary Beth Corcoran/The Chatham Voice
Student protest organizer and Chatham-Kent Secondary School Grade 10 student Emma Kathleen stands in front of the students who staged a one-period walk out Thursday to protest government changes to education that they feel will negatively impact student learning.