Renfrew, Kingston schools get ready for teacher strike

Public schools in Renfrew County and Kingston are preparing for disruptions and closures as teachers walk off the job Wednesday. 

All seven high schools at the Renfrew County District School Board would close for the day and most kindergarten classes would be cancelled.

The rest of its elementary and intermediate classes would be on.

For the Limestone District School Board, which covers Kingston, Napanee and areas to the north, secondary school classes would not be happening, but elementary schools would be open and intermediate classes in high school buildings would go ahead.

Four French schools in Kingston and two in Pembroke would also close if there's a strike.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation [OSSTF] announced late last week members will strike at nine school boards in Ontario and several French schools Wednesday if a deal can't be reached with the province in time.

Exams coming

Susan Humphries, chair of the board of trustees for the Renfrew County board, is urging high school students to spend an off day studying rather than treating it like a day off.

"Hopefully, coming off a two week holiday, they realize that exams are approaching [at the end of the month]," she said.

• Ontario public high school teachers announce another 1-day strike

The kindergarten classes in the Renfrew County area would also be cancelled because early-childhood educators at the school board are members of OSSTF.

"We need those early childhood educators to balance out the numbers of adults versus students," said Humphries. 

Parents with kids in kindergarten have to find other child-care arrangements, she said. Only Whitney Public School would continue to hold kindergarten class.

Night school programs, co-op placements and after-school extracurricular activities are also cancelled at these English schools.

Deal expired in August

OSSTF president Harvey Bischof said last week the union continues to plan strike action to protest growing class sizes, mandatory e-learning and as well as a lack of support for vulnerable students.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce called the threat of a strike Wednesday "unfair to students and their families."

According to Lecce, the sticking point between the union and province is a wage increase.

OSSTF's last contract with the province expired Aug. 31.

Wednesday's job action would be the fourth walkout in just over a month.