Student Walkout – from the Ministry of Education

From the BC Ministry of Education:

As you know, a student walkout being promoted for the morning of Wednesday, June 4, has received a significant amount of media attention. While the Ministry respects the desire of students to express their views regarding the current labour situation, the proposed walkout raises a number of concerns particularly with regard to student safety.

Districts are encouraged to engage parents in your communities to ensure they are aware of the proposed walkout and advise them that any walkout activities are not sanctioned by the district or schools. As a result, parents should be aware that:

  • While districts are responsible for the safety of students on school property, student safety cannot be guaranteed for students participating in walkout activities outside school property even if those activities take place during school hours.
  • We do not know who, if anyone, is organizing local walkout activities, and parents should not expect those activities to be supervised by school or district staff.
  • Districts strongly encourage students not to participate in the walkout, both to ensure their own safety and to avoid adding further unnecessary and unproductive disruptions to their learning during this already difficult dispute.

We all fully respect the voice of students and their legitimate right to share their concerns, and we do not want to unduly alarm parents or students about the potential risks of participating in the walkout. But it is our shared responsibility to ensure parents and students are aware of those risks.