Parents in limbo as teacher strike drags on

Parents in limbo as teacher strike drags on

While many children across the province returned to the classroom on December 15 following a one week strike by the Front Commun, parents at some French schools in the Municipality of Pontiac are still taking care of their kids at home. That’s because the teachers in their schools are represented by the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE), a union outside the umbrella of the Front Commun, which represents more than 60,000 teachers. The FAE has been on an unlimited general strike since November 23, meaning that their students haven’t been in a classroom since November 20.

After sporadic but escalating strikes since the start of November, the Front Commun has said that if they are unable to reach an agreement with the government, their next step will be to initiate their own unlimited general strike.

Beechgrove resident Lindsay Hamilton’s children, aged five and nine, attend Ecole Sainte-Marie in Quyon and have been out of the classroom for around a month at this point. She said that the uncertainty around how long the disruption will last is one of the most frustrating aspects.

She added that parents have been working together to help each other out, but it’s a lot to juggle.

Despite the difficulties, Hamilton said that she was supportive of teachers being paid fairly for their work.