UPDATE: Schools To Resume Classes Wednesday

Teachers gather outside the Arena on Oct. 14 for a protest march to Medicine Hat MLA, Premier Danielle Smith’s, constituency office. (File Photo)

Students at Medicine Hat’s public as well as Prairie Rose schools will be returning to classes on Wednesday, according to the school boards.

The Medicine Hat Public School Division made the announcement Monday evening on its website with further information expected to be sent to parents with updates. Prairie Rose Followed Tuesday morning.

The move to resolve the teacher’s strike which began Oct. 6 came down to the provincial government passing legislation to force educators back to work in the early morning hours Tuesday.

“We did not take this step lightly,” stated Premier Danielle Smith, Medicine Hat MLA, in a letter shared by the citys’ and region’s school boards.  “After multiple attempts at bargaining with the teachers’ union and even reaching multiple tentative offers, all of which were rejected, last week we offered the Alberta Teachers’ Association a path forward through enhanced mediation, a process that would have allowed teachers to return to classrooms while negotiations continued with the help of a neutral third party.”

As of early Tuesday morning, it’s unclear if Medicine Hat Catholic school boards will follow in starting classes back up on Wednesday, though, that’s anticipated. Medicine Hat Catholic and Prairie Rose have their first respective meetings scheduled for Tuesday morning with the public school division hosting its in the evening following last week’s municipal election.

The Owl will be updating the situation as information becomes available.