Chanting “We have a voice” and “We want extracurriculars,” a group of about 40 students in Grades 6 to 8 at John Black Public School walked out of class on Dec. 13.
They were protesting the impact a labour dispute between the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the provincial government has had on them personally.
The walkout was one of several organized by students in the region just one day before a planned one-day walkout by elementary school teachers across the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB).
The Dec. 14 protest by local teachers is part of a series of rotating strikes being held around the province by ETFO members. The rotating strikes are in addition to work-to-rule campaigns that have reduced or eliminated extracurricular activities at some schools.
“The teachers union is protesting against the government and they’re taking away our trips, our Sports teams and clubs and extra-curricular activities,” said Grade 8 student Monika Daultrey, one of the students participating in the protest.
“They should find a way to do it without involving the students and taking away our extracurricular activities and changing the things we get excited about.”
Students, who said they planned to stay out all day, indicated they had been told they could not come back inside once they left for the protest.
“We can’t go back in, even to use the bathroom,” said Daultrey.
However John Black principal Bruce Davies said that wasn’t the case.
“The doors are open,” he said, before heading outside to advise supervising teachers to ensure students were aware they could come back inside.
Davies initially directed a reporter from the Wellington Advertiser to UGDSB communications officer Maggie McFadzen for any comments and asked the reporter to leave school property. However, he allowed the reporter to stay after learning he was from the Advertiser and there to write a story on the student protest.
“That wouldn’t be any principal’s direction,” said McFadzen when asked if students who left class would be compelled to stay outside.
McFadzen said there had been a number of similar student walkouts recently.
“They come and they go,” she stated. “We don’t discipline students for taking part in protests unless they seriously breach school rules,” she said.
“We did provide some direction to principals for handling these situations.”
While the board has no official policy on student protests, McFadzen said students, “have a right to voice an opinion.
“We try to find out about them in advance and help the students find a way to participate in a satisfactory fashion.”
McFadzen said principals “do tell them it’s better to stay in school.” They are also given suggestions about alternative ways to send their message, such as “coming to class, but dressing all in black.”
If students decide to protest, McFadzen said the activity is carefully monitored.
“They can’t leave school property, because they have to have parental permission for that,” she said, adding school staff members are sent with students to keep an eye on the situation.
“They have to have someone with them,” McFadzen said. She noted a number of similar protests have been staged recently, including one on Dec. 11 at Erin Public School.
“A group of them were out all day, but it dwindled down as they day wore on,” she said.
