Mykayla Dykes is backing the stand teachers are taking in their contract dispute with the province. But she's trying to keep her show of support a bit of a secret.
She'll try to keep a low profile at least until 2 p.m. Friday, when she and her fellow students at D.P. Todd secondary school plan to skip their last class of the week and join the B.C. High School Student Walkout.
Dykes, a Grade 10 student at D.P. Todd, has no idea how many sign-carrying students will join her outside the school in the province-wide protest, which started early in the week with a Facebook invitation, but hopes their message will be heard.
"I think the student walkout is the best idea ever, just because I'm totally for the teachers and I thought it was a good idea if the voices of other students would also be heard," said Dykes.
"Teachers structure our education for post-secondary school and they have a big responsibility. I don't think it's fair for them to have 30 students in one classroom because they wouldn't be able to do their job properly.
"I also don't like that the minister wants to have total control over what they're teaching and how they're teaching. Most of the teachers get their point with fun activities."
Dykes says the province could have prevented escalating job action had government negotiators been more willing to make concessions to teachers in contract talks.
"There hasn't been any negotiation at all, which I don't think is fair at all," Dykes said.
"The fact they won't be allowed to strike for what they want, also is not fair. If you're taking something away from someone you should at least hear what they have to say about it, which they are not. They're not negotiating or anything, they're just going to do it."
Dykes has the permission of her parents to cut class and she says her teachers know about it
"At school it's not like it's an open subject because you're skipping school to do it," Dykes said.
"I talked to a couple of my teachers already and they said they don't care, as long as I'm doing it for a good cause."
