Teachers' strike pushes Espanola French students into grade school
“We thought our son wasn’t going to be impacted by the teachers' strike," says parent
Forty-five students at École secondaire catholique Franco-Ouest have been forced to take classes at an elementary school due to a teachers' strike at English public high schools in the Sudbury area.
Franco-Ouest rents out space for classrooms at the Rainbow District School Board's Espanola High School. Secondary teachers with the Rainbow board have been on the picket line since Monday.
The Fanco-Ouest students have been moved to École élémentaire catholique St-Joseph, an Espanola elementary school, over concerns about picket lines at their usual school.
"We thought our son wasn't going to be impacted by the teachers' strike," said Anne Gervais, the mother of a Grade 10 student at Franco-Ouest.
She said at one point the French high school students were studying in cramped conditions in a church basement, making it difficult for her to sympathize with striking teachers.
"I know it's a unique situation with Espanola High School and sharing accommodations. But I'm still quite upset," she said. "I really don't think it helps the [striking teachers'] cause at all."
Move was security precaution
The French Catholic school board decided to move the students in order to keep them away from the picket line.
"We know that if we do allow them to head back to [Espanola High School], there will be delays," said Lyse-Anne Papineau, the director of the French Catholic school board.
"We'll have to best manage as we can. Our objective is to ensure that school teaching does go on and the students do get the programs and services we've always given them," she said.
The French Catholic board decided to move the students out of Espanola High School as a precaution, she said, adding the board will be re-evaluating the situation and may allow the students return to their building.
While there have admittedly been disruptions, the president of the public high school teachers' union said everyone is still able to get into Espanola High School.
Labour troubles continue
"I have no idea what's happening there," said James Clyke, the president of the teachers' union. "Our members on the picket line are delaying people from coming onto the school property, and Rainbow District School Board property, but we're certainly not stopping anybody from going in."
It's regrettable that that teachers are on the picket line rather than in the classroom, Clyke said, but he added talks with the board have stalled.
"Disruption is terrible. Nobody wants a strike," Clyke said. "My members, especially, they would rather be in a school teaching students than blocking people from getting into a learning facility."
This isn't the only case of teacher labour issues for Ontario. High School teachers in Durham are also on strike and several other local teachers' unions have said they plan to strike if they can't find and agreement with their school boards.
Public elementary school teachers will be in a legal strike position on May 10 and Ontario Catholic teachers have also voted in favour of a strike, if necessary.