The problem with simply cramming never-before-seen volumes of students who can’t speak English into overcrowded classrooms is that, one day, the teachers will snap. And that’s kind of what we’re seeing in Alberta — though neither the government nor the teachers’ association has made a point of trying to solve the issue.

Most kids have been locked out of schools for a whole month because, we’re told, classes are reaching 40-plus students and because classroom needs are becoming more “complex,” a euphemism for kids with disabilities and/or low English capability. Teachers have been without pay in that time, as their union didn’t build a strike fund over the past 20 years. Alas, the strike ended Tuesday with the passing of back-to-work legislation reinforced by the notwithstanding clause.

See Full Page