Muhammad Irfan 
The True Post (Web News)The province-wide teachers’ strike in Alberta has entered its third week, disrupting education for more than 750,000 students as 51,000 teachers continue their walkout.
On Thursday, thousands of teachers and supporters gathered outside the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton for a large protest. Demonstrators chanted slogans, beat drums, and symbolically threw “protest potatoes” at the legislature’s entrance a response to Premier Danielle Smith’s earlier comment that “there’s more than one way to peel a potato,” urging teachers to show flexibility.
Premier Smith warned that if no agreement is reached within the next few days, her government will introduce the “Back to School Act” on Monday to force teachers back into classrooms. She said the strike has caused major disruptions for students and parents, adding that the government “cannot wait any longer.”
The government has offered a 12% salary increase and the hiring of 3,000 new teachers, but the teachers’ union rejected the proposal as insufficient, emphasizing classroom overcrowding and lack of support for students with special needs.
Finance Minister Nate Horner stated that the government remains open to negotiations “anytime,” though no formal meeting has been scheduled.
Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi denounced the government’s proposed legislation as “an attack on teachers, workers, and democratic rights.”
Meanwhile, during the same session, Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani delivered the province’s Throne Speech, outlining the government’s priorities, including strengthening Alberta’s autonomy, pushing back against federal policies, and expanding trade ties with the United States.
