Teachers' strike: What happens if there's a full walkout?
B.C. teachers vote Monday and Tuesday whether to move to a full strike as the school year ends
With the rotating strike entering its third week, B.C. teachers are set to vote on Monday and Tuesday on whether or not they want to escalate the job action to a full walkout.
- B.C. teachers' strike and lockout: Schedule for week 3
- B.C. teachers' strike fund running out ahead of vote
Results of a strike vote are expected Tuesday night. The union is required to give three days notice before members walk off the job.
That means the earliest possible date for school closures across B.C. would be Monday, June 16 and that could impact the last nine days of school
The B.C. Government issued a statement Sunday addressed to parents of school-aged children explaining that every effort will be made to ensure report cards and exams aren't impacted.
"The Ministry of Education and the British Columbia Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA) want to assure parents that every effort is being made to ensure the strike does not disadvantage students, nor delay their transition to the next grade or on to post-secondary," the statement says.
What the full strike would mean for students in Kindergarten up to Grade 9:
- Schools would be closed.
- Parents should make child care arrangements, where required.
- Final report cards will be sent to parents, but written comments may be shorter than usual.
What the full strike would mean for students in Grades 10, 11 and 12:
- Secondary schools would likely only be open for the purpose of administering exams.
- Picket lines could be present outside schools.
- Students in rural areas may not have normal school bus service.
- Provincial exams will be marked and final marks will be sent out in as timely a manner as possible.
The Ministry of Education says the BCPSEA has asked the Labour Relations Board to deem the work required for the completion of report cards as an essential service.
The ministry says "B.C. post-secondary institutions are aware there is a chance that the strike might interfere with the normal flow of final student marks," but also says the potential delay won't affect many students planning to attend post-secondary programs in September, as most have already been admitted based on current marks.
Schedule for B.C.'s provincial exams
June 16-26
- Apprenticeship and Workplace Mathematics 10 Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-Calculus 10 (Schools may schedule these sessions at any time after June 16.)
June 18
- Science 10 (only for schools that require an early session)
- Apprenticeship and Workplace Mathematics 10 Foundations of Mathematics
- Pre-Calculus 10
June 19
- BC First Nations Studies 12
June 20
- English 12
- English 10 First Peoples
- Communications 12
- Français langue première 10
June 23
- Français langue seconde-immersion 12
- Français langue première 12
- Science 10
- Civic Studies 11
June 24
- English 12 First Peoples
- English 10
- Social Studies 11
Source: B.C. Ministry of Education
With files from The Canadian Press