High schools in 10 boards across the province are closed Tuesday as a week of rolling teachers’ strikes continues.

Teachers, school staff and early childhood educators say they are fighting the Ontario government’s cuts to education. They say they are striking for smaller class sizes, better support for special needs students, a commitment to full-day kindergarten, as well as compensation.

But as the unions and province continue their standoff, has anyone checked to see if the kids are all right? Here’s what some students told the Star:

Lerenzo McDonald, Grade 12, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Mississauga

McDonald knows his last year of high school is crucial. He has high hopes of going to college and becoming a flight attendant. The strikes involving Ontario’s Catholic school board will force him to miss school Tuesday, just a day before his first exam.

Despite the added pressure he feels from losing class time, he says he has “full faith” in his teachers and supports their fight for something that will benefit education in the long run.

“I think I speak for all students, especially those in Grade 12, when I say we believe that what the teachers are doing is very important to protect the education system under us,” McDonald adds.

“Of course the strike is difficult on the students but the most important thing to remember is that we must support and believe in our teachers. All they are fighting for is to ensure the safety and security of the education system in Ontario.”

A big part of that pressure stems from the fact that his younger sister, currently in Grade 10, may miss out on opportunities because of the changes made by the Ontario government.

“I am worried with the increasing class sizes and courses she’ll have to miss out on because of the cutbacks,” he says. “Currently her school has lost many valuable courses that students truly love. I fear that she will be forced to go through high school and not truly love it because of the cuts and loss of such loved student courses.”

Zaina Nasar, Grade 12, Bayridge Secondary School in Kingston

The 17-year-old has missed three days of school due to rolling strikes. She said the job action in schools is stressful for students.

“The strikes during exams are of course everyone’s biggest worry at the moment. These years are critical and matter a lot for the future,” Nasar says.

But that hasn’t stopped Nasar from becoming the student organizer for her school’s “Fight for our education” protest happening Tuesday.

“Even though we have other stresses, I think that it’s extremely important that students join this fight because these are huge changes in our education system,” Nasar says.

She decided to lead this group to raise awareness of the situation to other students.

“I found that many students weren’t aware of the reasons for the strikes and I’m currently trying to spread awareness. I’m hoping for a big turnout,” Nasar says.

She is concerned with seeing teachers at her school losing their jobs and courses being taken out of the curriculum due to cutbacks.

“Losing these things are vexing to many of us,” Nasar says.

Nasar wants to study law in post-secondary school so that some day she can help others.

She’s getting close to that next step, and that reality makes her feel uneasy.

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“I’m really nervous for the future,” Nasar says. “It’s not far and it’s pretty scary.”

Noah Sparrow, Grade 12, Northern Secondary School in Toronto

Noah Sparrow will be braving the cold weather on Tuesday to join his teachers on the picket line.

“I believe it’s the right thing to do. Students should (and do) prioritize education because it gives us tools to be successful,” he says.

To be successful, he says that the Ontario government’s push for larger class sizes and cutting of courses ruin education for students. “Large class sizes leads to more panic attacks. Fewer course options lead to less student engagement.”

The same goes for e-learning, he adds. “E-learning fails to address that students learn differently. In classes, teachers can adapt to their teaching styles for the kids. E-learning has a much harder time doing this.”

Back in September 2018, Sparrow, who is a young trans advocate in Toronto, launched a human rights complaint against Doug Ford’s PC government after the initial announcement that the 2015 sex-ed curriculum would be rolled back to the 1998 version until further updates were made.

Sparrow’s drive to bring awareness to his peers continued into 2019, when he became one of the main leaders of the #StudentsSayNo walkout for Ontario students last April.

This time, Sparrow is continuing to fight the cuts, knowing full well that his teachers has his, and his peers’ best interest in mind. “I find it especially disappointing that the Ford government has dismissed concerns and further demonized teachers,” he says.

James Rogers, Grade 11, St. Brother André Catholic High School in Markham

James Rogers had a feeling this strike would eventually come. He said it’s something that has been looming since students coordinated walk-outs in response to the education cuts that were announced towards the end of last school year.

“My civics teacher told us last year that there would be a possibility of strikes,” Rogers said. “To have all these students in the classrooms is a lot, and the cuts to special education — it’s things our teachers won’t stand for.”

Still a year from graduation, Rogers feels he and his classmates aren’t too concerned about the one-day strike but the possibility of job action dragging on for a while longer does create a bit of a worry.

“I will admit the fact that it is a bit close to exams — it can be a little worrying,” he says. “We haven’t heard anything about there being more strikes yet. I don’t know what the next steps would be if after tomorrow, nothing is reached.”

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Students, what do you think of Ontario’s rolling teacher strikes? Share your thoughts with us in an email to social@torstar.ca.

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