Students protest outside of MLA Jeremy Cockrill's office on Weds., Mar. 27. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Student Protest

Students protest outside Cockrill’s office in support of teachers and STF

Mar 27, 2024 | 4:58 PM

With a mixed soundtrack of classic rock and honking horns to cheer them on, the students of the Battlefords stood outside Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill’s office to protest the ongoing issues of class size and class complexity.

“Today we’re protesting the government’s inability to negotiate with teachers,” said Ned Kroczynski, 17.

Dozens of students stood on the sidewalk holding signs and waved to drivers as they passed in an effort to show their support for teachers and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. Kroczynski said they organized over school group chats and while they haven’t heard from Cockrill, they planned to stay for the afternoon.

Students hold signs during protest on Weds., Mar. 27. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

“I think he’s pretty scared and I think he’s pretty cowardly,” he said, referring to the sit-in incident at Cockrill’s office a couple of weeks ago.

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“They were mainly elderly people, and he called the cops on them, which was like, they’re in their 60s. My grandma was there.”

When asked to comment on the student protest at his office, Cockrill said that the ministry will be working to school divisions to help graduation ceremonies take place.

“Graduating students and their families can be assured that the Ministry of Education is working closely with school divisions to ensure that graduation activities proceed as normal this year, even if the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation leadership decides to declare sanctions that would take away graduation. Graduation is important to students and families because it celebrates the success of students,” he said.

“We are not going to allow the politics of an ongoing labour dispute affect a special moment for Saskatchewan students.”

Sixteen-year-old Ruhan Yi said he came out to the protest to join his fellow students in supporting their teachers. He explained that as students, they had a responsibility to speak out and he thought it would be a good opportunity.

“As a group, we are stronger and we can express our voices louder,” he said, noting he’s glad he’s living in a community where the students value their education.

According to eighteen-year-old Maryn Kachmarski, students have been struggling this past year.

“Extracurricular activities, sports, clubs and potential grad ceremonies are on the line so we are out here fighting to make decisions that will help teachers get support that they need,” she said.

Ruhan Yi, 16, chose to use his voice during the student protest on Weds., Mar. 27. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Kachmarski explained that some of her classes have over 35 students, not enough desks and it’s a struggle to help students with accommodations.

“I think it’s really hard for us to be able to stay on track and hope that we will get help,” she said, noting that often it’ll take an hour for their teacher to answer one question.

“It’s really frustrating because we all want to have the same learning career as everyone else does and it’s really making it difficult for us to stay on task with the learning,” she said.

“It’s really hard when we have the same kind of questions or different questions, and they can’t get answered in that hour because they’re trying to help every single person in that class.”

Meanwhile, Kroczynski said he places the cancellation of Hoopla, Optimist Band Festival and nearly missing out on the music trip to New York squarely at the feet of Cockrill, Premier Scott Moe and the government.

Ned Kroczynski, 17, speaks to a group of students during the student protest on Weds., Mar. 27. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

At the moment, this is the only event planned but the students said if their teachers walk out in the coming days, they plan to join them. In the meantime, the students hope to continue to raise awareness.

“This isn’t going to be the protest that changes his mind, you know. There’s been enough of these,” he said.

“I think this is really just to raise awareness and gain support among the general public for teachers and the STF.”

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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