Alberta is bracing for a possible province-wide teachers’ strike starting Oct. 6, after the Alberta Teachers’ Association rejected the latest contract offer. In response, the provincial government has announced a financial support program for parents.
Eligible families will receive $30 per child, per day for children under 12 affected by school closures. Payments, retroactive to Oct. 6, will be sent monthly starting Oct. 31. Parents must apply online.
Finance Minister Nate Horner says the money comes from redirected education funds, including unspent salaries. The ATA criticized the plan, saying the government is willing to pay parents more to wait out a strike than to pay teachers fairly.
NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says the $15-million-a-day program is wasteful and urged the government to return to negotiations. No talks are currently scheduled.
The province is also offering a home learning toolkit with weekly lessons in core subjects. Critics say it’s no substitute for classroom learning.
The rejected deal included a 12% raise over four years and 3,000 new teachers. Premier Danielle Smith called it generous but says there are no plans for back-to-work legislation if the strike proceeds.
Over 700,000 students could be affected across 2,500 schools.
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