The Burnaby school district is urging parents to have alternate arrangements ready for their kids in case the ongoing teacher labour dispute shuts down schools Sept. 2.
In a letter to parents Monday, superintendent Kevin Kaardal said the district anticipates teachers will not report to work for the scheduled first day of school if a settlement isn’t reached within the week.
“Should this be the case, regretfully, all Burnaby schools would be closed for instruction and although principals and vice-principals would be in their schools, they would be unable to provide students with instruction or supervision,” Kaardal wrote.
“We know how disappointing this will be and we regret the hardship it creates for families.”
Teachers around the province launched a full-scale strike on June 17 after three weeks of rotating strikes.
Little progress has been made over the summer, and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association haven’t met formally in face-to-face negotiations since Aug. 8.
Kaardal urged parents to keep an eye on media reports and on the school district website (sd33.bc.ca) since school officials will hold out until Sept. 1 before deciding whether or not schools can be opened on time.
If there is a settlement and schools do open on or after Sept. 2, Kaardal warned there will be disruptions, as course scheduling, particularly in secondary schools, may need to be changed.
“We will be working collectively to restore our schools back to normal operations as quickly as possible,” Kaardal said.
