West Island students walk out in support of Quebec teachers

Students at 10 West Island high schools held a"walkout" this morning in support of their teachers during contract negotiations with the provincial government.

• Students at four West Island high schools plan walkout
• French-language teachers' strike gives 275,000 students day off
• Quebec's English school board's teachers' 1st strike day likely in late October

Students atJohnRennieHigh School, BeaconsfieldHigh School,Saint Thomas High School, Lindsay Place High School, Macdonald High School, Lasalle Comprehensive,Lakeside Academy, Westwood Senior High School,Pierrefonds ComprehensiveandRiverdaleHigh School said they would standoutsidefor the first two periods of the day.

Some students demonstrated outside the schools, while others spent their time doing other activities including going to the library.

Some younger grades did not participate in the action.Students at Beurling, Horizon and Westwood Junior also did not participate.

All of the schools are part of theLester B. Pearson School Board.

Bradley Schapp, a student at John Rennie High School and one of the student organizers of the walkout, told CBC Montreal's Daybreakthat teachers need support.

The demonstration is both in support of their teachers during stalled negotiations with the province and, at the same time, againstpressure tactics by teachers' unions, like cutting extra-curricular activities.

Quebec teachers have been without a contract since April.

Richard Goldfinch, the president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers, saidteachers will only workthe hours for which they are paid.

"For every hour we do in the school, we do another hour at home," said Goldfinch.

Suanne Stein Day, the chairman of the board, said earlier this week that she's discouraging students from walking out.

"The fact that they want to protest is not an issue with us. The problem is the timing of it. We are responsible for the safety, supervision and security of students while they're in classes," Day said.