Students across Alberta participated in a provincewide walkout on Thursday, protesting the government's decision to mandate teachers back to work following a recent strike. The walkouts were organized by Alberta Students for Teachers, a group advocating for educational reforms and support for teachers.

In Calgary, students gathered outside their schools and marched to city hall, expressing solidarity with their educators. Arya Mishra, a Grade 12 student at William Aberhart High School, emphasized the importance of student voices in the protest. "Politicians and many folk are saying things that are supposedly coming from students. I have yet to see many students really repeat those same statements," she said.

The walkouts came after the provincial government passed Bill 2, known as the Back to School Act, which ended a three-week strike involving over 51,000 teachers. The legislation invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Charter, preventing legal challenges and imposing a deal that 90% of teachers had previously rejected.

Mishra and fellow protesters called for changes in educational policies, including classroom caps and optional January diploma exams. An online petition advocating for the latter has garnered over 27,000 signatures. "Now, because of the back-to-work legislation, we are back to school, and no changes have been made. That is frustrating to students," Mishra stated.

In Edmonton, hundreds of students also walked out, heading to the Alberta legislature to voice their concerns. Grade 12 student Alexandre Charrois, who attended the rally, noted the lack of resources for teachers, which affects students needing extra help. "My teachers are doing their best, but they don’t have the resources to adequately help every student in the class," he said.

The Education Minister, Demetrios Nicolaides, acknowledged students' rights to protest but stressed the importance of attending classes. "Students have a variety of ways they can express themselves, and we will always respect their right to peacefully assemble and protest. However, it is important for them to be in class, and not disrupt their own learning or that of others," he stated.

Students from various schools in southern Alberta, including Canmore and Lethbridge, also participated in the walkouts. Mairi Webb, a Grade 11 student from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, expressed the significance of the protest for students outside major urban centers. "It may not matter to Danielle Smith herself, but I think it'll show the public how important teachers' rights are to us," she said.

The protests reflect a growing concern among students regarding the impact of the strike and the government's response. Many students, like Grade 11 student Quin Bergman, expressed disappointment over the government's use of the notwithstanding clause. "None of us think that’s fair. We think our teachers deserve the right to strike," Bergman said.

As students continue to rally for their teachers, questions remain about the future of educational policies and the support available for both students and educators in Alberta.