Alberta teachers’ strike exposes deep divide over class sizes, classroom pressures

Both sides in the ongoing teachers' strike in Alberta say they want better learning conditions but disagree on how to get there.

The Alberta teachers’ strike has widened into a debate over classroom conditions, government priorities and trust between the province and the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA).

Both sides say they want to improve education quality, but they disagree sharply on how to get there—and whether the other is anxious to find a consensus.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides insists the research does not support mandatory class-size caps as a way to improve student performance.

“If we’re going to talk about class-size caps and say 23 is an appropriate number, then the argument is, well, why not 22 or why not 24? It’s really just an arbitrary number,” he said.

Nicolaides said studies only show measurable benefits when class sizes fall below 17 students—something he calls unrealistic given the province’s rapid growth.

“We have a significant influx of people who are joining the province from other provinces, other countries,” said Nicolaides.

“It’s putting a lot of pressure on our classrooms, no question. My priorities are to work on hiring more teachers, hiring more EAs, building more schools so that every student has the best possible conditions.”

Mount Royal University education professor Sarah Hamilton said the minister’s argument overlooks broader benefits that go beyond test scores.

“There are studies that have shown that for students, particularly younger students, decreases in class sizes have had a positive impact,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton said the Alberta Commission on Learning recommended a target of 17 students per class for kindergarten to Grade 3—a level research has shown to improve learning outcomes.

“It positively impacts the amount of time teachers can have with individual students. It positively impacts students, especially students at risk, disadvantaged students, students with particular needs,” said Hamilton.

“It positively impacts the relationships within a classroom. It decreases the disruptions that we see in a classroom. It can actually increase student engagement. It can increase retention of students in high school.”

Hamilton added that smaller classes also affect teacher well-being and retention.

“In our province right now, we have a very high attrition rate of teachers, especially in the first five years of their teaching careers,” said Hamilton.

”Decreases in class sizes can influence teachers to want to stay in the profession.”

Hamilton said Alberta stands out nationally for its lack of a mandated classroom cap or student-teacher ratios.

“Alberta has neither of those, not within a collective agreement, not within a legislation of the Education Act,” she said.

“There is no limit on how many students can be in a classroom. We are only one of two provinces that don’t have that right now—us and Saskatchewan.”

ATA president Jason Schilling said teachers want the government to commit to a formal student-teacher ratio, not rely on averages or promises.

“What we came to the table with when we first started originally bargaining was a student-teacher ratio. That, the government was unwilling to do,” said Schilling.

“The (offer of) 3,000 teachers was a last-ditch effort to try to address classroom conditions, because government was unwilling to (accept a ratio).

“Our teachers voted that down because they said it’s not enough.”

Schilling said small reductions can still matter if they allow teachers to reach every student.

“If you have students in class who might be English language learners, or you might have students that have learning disabilities or other sorts of needs in your class, (then) maybe you only get 15 kids—that allows the teacher time to work with all students in the classroom, and that’s really important,” he said.

Negotiations and questions of trust

While both sides agree classrooms are under strain, the dispute at the bargaining table is increasingly adversarial.

Nicolaides accused the ATA leadership of being disconnected from its members.

“There’s a disconnect, or an inability for the union leadership to productively bring forward the concerns that their members have,” he said.

“Rank-and-file teachers have their finger on the pulse. They know what’s needed in their classrooms. We understand it. I understand it. They need some more support to deal with aggression and complexity, absolutely, and we’re willing to provide supports in that regard.

“But it comes back to the issue of the union leadership perhaps being unable to articulate those needs at the bargaining table.”

Schilling rejected that characterization outright.

“They like to say that the leadership is out of touch with its membership,” he said.

“But association leadership and our executive council, we are all teachers who are working in schools right now in overcrowded classrooms without resources.

“We are in touch with our members.”

Nicolaides said the government has already met most of the union’s earlier proposals—including hiring 3,000 teachers and 1,500 educational assistants—and called the strike unnecessary.

“I don’t think we’re that far apart. I think, you know, we’re open and willing to discuss some of those numbers and make some movements where we need to,” said Nicolaides.

“We’re calling on the ATA to stop the strike and come back to the table so we can figure out a path forward.”

But Schilling said government claims of flexibility ring hollow.

“It’s easy enough for a government to say, and the minister to say, ‘Well, we gave teachers everything that they wanted,’” he said.

“In fact, we presented it to our members and gave them the opportunity to vote on it; they said no. Ninety per cent of them said no. That was a very strong signal to government that maybe it wasn’t good enough.”

He also disputed Nicolaides’ suggestion that the union has refused to bargain.

“We had actually the (Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association) send a letter to us to come back to the table last week, which we did, in an exploratory way,” he said.

“So I think it’s disingenuous and mistruthful for government to say that we’re not at the table, when in fact, we are.”

Hamilton said that until the province tackles overcrowded classrooms directly, the underlying tension will remain.

“None of this is going to be easy. None of this would be like a ‘tomorrow’ change,“ said Hamilton.

“But as schools are being built, as they’re determining where they’re going to put those new schools, they need to think of how that can be done strategically so that there’s a possibility for reductions in these class sizes.

”This just can’t keep going the way it’s going right now.”