Students at a handful of GTA schools walked out of class Monday to protest a provincial bill that has led to extracurricular activities being scaled back or dropped entirely.
At Bramalea Secondary School, where extracurricular activities have been cancelled in protest of a new contract imposed on Ontario public school teachers, dozens of students gathered on the front steps to show their outrage.
“I’m here to get our sports back, and our clubs,” Amber, a Grade 11 student at the Brampton high school, told CP24’s Katie Simpson. “I wanted to join a lot of sports and they cancelled it this year.”
Later, a student organizer told the crowd the protest was held to denounce the provincial government for “taking away teachers’ rights.”
During their protest, students chanted and waved signs reading “We care,” “Putting students first” and “No sports, no school.”
At the urging of three unions, some teachers have withdrawn from volunteer positions as a way to protest Bill 115, which imposed a wage freeze on Ontario public school teachers and support staff, and banned strikes or lockouts for two years.
Without teachers to oversee them, some fall programs have been cancelled.
Meanwhile, a union representing elementary school teachers is urging its members to skip meetings every Monday to protest the bill.
With files from CP24’s Katie Simpson
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