Most Albertans side with teachers in ongoing strike: survey

Alberta teachers and their employer returned to the bargaining table on Tuesday, looking to end a provincewide strike that began on Oct. 6.

A new survey suggests most Albertans side with teachers in the ongoing labour dispute between them and the provincial government.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

The data from the Angus Reid Institute, released on Tuesday, indicates three-in-five Albertans (58 per cent) say their sympathies are more with teachers, almost triple the number who say they instead side with the government (21 per cent).

Class sizes and salaries

The survey suggests four-in-five (84 per cent) Albertans believe there are “too many kids” in public school classes, while most (56 per cent) disagree that teachers are currently paid enough.

“Where Albertans stand on this matter is apparently heavily influenced by politics,” said Angus Reid in the study. “Three-in-five (62 per cent) past UCP voters believe teachers are currently making enough money; four-in-five (82 per cent) 2023 NDP voters disagree.”

Danielle Smith’s handling of education

When asked if they think the provincial government has done a good job or a poor job handling public education under the leadership of Premier Danielle Smith, 61 per cent of survey respondents said the UCP has done a “poor job.”

Public vs. private schools

Angus Reid says the strike has also brought to the forefront questions around the province’s spending on the private school system.

According to the survey, 71 per cent believe the provincial government should be mainly focused on improving public schools, and three-in-ten (60 per cent) want fewer public funds to go towards private schools in general.

Strike proves disruptive

The Alberta teachers’ strike began on Oct. 6, derailing the start of the school year for more than 700,000 students.

Angus Reid found a majority (63 per cent) of those with school-aged children (ages six to 17) in the household say the strike has been either very (40 per cent) or a little (23 per cent) disruptive to their day-to-day routine.

Methodology

Angus Reid says the survey was conducted online from Oct. 8 to 10, using a random sample of 807 Canadian adults living in Alberta who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to region, gender, age, household income and education, based on the Canadian census.

According to Angus Reid, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by the Angus Reid Institute.

Ministry of Education and Childcare responds

In response to the survey, Alberta’s Ministry of Education and Childcare sent the following statement to CTV News:

“We know that the teacher’s strike is making things difficult for students and families. We believe teachers have been offered a fair deal and we have provided various supports to help families during this difficult time. There is no question that classrooms are more complex today than ever before and we’re working to address that. We’re also working to address unprecedent enrolment growth that is due, in large part, to immigration mismanagement by the Liberal government. We know teachers are hardworking individuals and we are prepared to increase teacher salaries, as well as hire more teachers and EAs to help them during these unique challenges”