Content: As Alberta's provincewide teachers' strike continues, many high school students are finding ways to cope with the disruption. Sixteen-year-old Paige Beck is determined not to fall behind. Despite the postponement of provincial cross-country races, she maintains her running schedule and strives to keep up with her Grade 12 biology course, which she is taking as a Grade 11 student.

The strike began on October 6, when over 51,000 teachers walked off the job after unsuccessful negotiations between the Alberta Teachers’ Association and the provincial government. Key issues include classroom sizes and teacher salaries. The strike is now entering its third week, and students are beginning to feel the impact.

“I've missed 10 days of class time, which is almost an eighth of the course,” Beck said. She expressed concern about her performance on the diploma exam and how it might affect her university applications.

In response to the strike, the province announced changes to standardized exams, known as diploma exams. Starting in November, these exams will be optional. If students choose not to take them, their final grades will rely solely on other assessments. The province assures that opting out will not hinder students' ability to apply for post-secondary education. However, Beck noted that no adjustments have been made for January or June exams, leaving her to prepare independently for her biology exam, which accounts for 30% of her final grade.

“We’re on molecular genetics right now and the different phases of the cell. They’re tricky concepts and they’re very easy to mix up,” Beck said. “It is so much harder to try to learn at home. It's really helped me appreciate how much the teachers do for me and how much they do for everybody.”

Seventeen-year-old Jane Kundert, a Grade 12 student, is also feeling the pressure. She needs to maintain her grades to secure early admission to the University of Alberta’s kinesiology program and has applied to nursing programs at other institutions, which depend on her January diploma exams.

“I'm definitely stressed out about it,” Kundert said. “I'm sort of on the fence here because on one hand, I'm really glad the teachers are doing something because the class sizes are affecting my learning. But the strike is also affecting my learning. So it's sort of a lose-lose situation.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced that her government would consider back-to-work legislation if students have not returned to classrooms by October 27. She stated, “It would constitute irreparable harm to children, especially those who are doing the preparation to prepare for university and prepare for diploma exams.”

Kundert expressed concern that a forced return to work for teachers might mean they would not engage in extracurricular activities, such as coaching sports teams. “This is our last year of high school and we're sort of used to seeing all these people in Grade 12 have fun with their last year,” Kundert said. “Work-to-rule — like no sports teams, no clubs, no activities, no school trips — would absolutely upend our last year of high school.”

The lack of school sports is already affecting students who rely on athletic scholarships. Joe Klespitz, a 16-year-old running back for the Ardrossan Bisons, is missing out on game tape that he hoped to send to recruiters due to the cancellation of high school football games.

“They start looking at you in Grade 11 and start scouting you out, so by Grade 12, you can have a scholarship or an opportunity ready for you right after you’re done the season,” Klespitz said. “I’m fairly worried about it, but I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end. But it does suck, of course, to lose film and lose those opportunities that could be presented to you.”

As the strike continues, students like Beck, Kundert, and Klespitz are navigating the challenges of their education while hoping for a resolution that will allow them to return to normalcy in their academic and athletic pursuits.