Teachers' strike: What happens if there's a full walkout? - Action News
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British Columbia

Teachers' strike: What happens if there's a full walkout?

The earliest possible date for a full strike and school closures across B.C. would be Monday, June 16. The last nine days of school could be affected for many students, but the government says provincial exams will go ahead.

B.C. teachers vote Monday and Tuesday whether to move to a full strike as the school year ends

Teachers' vote follows CUPE deal

10 years ago
Duration 2:19
B.C. says deal demonstrates compromise, BCTF says it's not the same

With the rotating strike entering its third week, B.C. teachers are set to vote on Monday and Tuesday onwhether or not they want to escalate thejob action to a full walkout.

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 16and that could impact the last nine days of school

The B.C. Government issued a statement Sundayaddressed to parents of school-aged childrenexplaining that every effort will be made to ensure report cards and exams aren't impacted.

"The Ministry of Education and the British Columbia Public SchoolEmployers Association (BCPSEA) want to assure parents that every effortis being made to ensure the strike does not disadvantage students, nordelay their transition to the next grade or on to post-secondary," the statement says.

What the full strike would mean forstudents inKindergarten up to Grade 9:

  • Schools wouldbe closed.
  • Parents should make child carearrangements, 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 purposeof administering exams.
  • Picket lines couldbe present outside schools.
  • Students in rural areas may not havenormal 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 final exams will go ahead, and all efforts will be made to have exams graded and marks distributed in a timely manner. (Vincent Kessler/Reuters)

The Ministry of Education says the BCPSEA has asked theLabour Relations Board to deem the workrequired 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 thestrike 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 beenadmitted based on current marks.


Schedule for B.C.'sprovincial 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
  • Franais langue premire 10

June 23

  • Franais langue seconde-immersion 12
  • Franais langue premire 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