In a June 3 message to parents and guardians, School District #27 (SD27) superintendent of schools Mark Thiessen notes a student walkout is being promoted for tomorrow morning (June 4), and it has received a significant amount of media and social media attention.
While SD27 respects the desire of students to express their views regarding the current labour situation, Thiessen says the proposed walkout raises a number of concerns particularly with regard to student safety.
"This newsletter is to make you aware of the proposed walkout and to inform you that any walkout activities are not sanctioned by the district or by individual schools."
Thiessen says parents, guardians and students 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.
• SD27 strongly encourages 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," Thiessen says.
"However, it is our responsibility to ensure parents and students are aware of those risks."