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By The Canadian Press

Bargaining Ongoing

Big city school boards say Alberta classrooms overflowing

Sep 17, 2025 | 11:06 AM

Some Alberta parents say they have hired tutors for their children, because classroom overcrowding is having a disastrous domino effect on learning.

Kira Schulz (kee-RAH SHUHLZ) says her daughter needed a tutor, because she couldn’t focus in class over the noise of peers in her school in Airdrie.

Schulz, who also volunteers at school, says she has seen students working out of hallways and there are more student outbursts due to overcrowding.

Jacqueline Renfrow (rehn-FROH) says she has also hired tutors for her daughters, so they can keep up in school.

Edmonton Public Schools says 90 per cent of all its school spaces will be full this year, and the Calgary Board of Education says several schools have paused enrolment because they’re overflowing.

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Students, parents, school boards and the province say they want to fix overcrowding in schools.

But contract talks over wages and school conditions between The Alberta Teachers’ Association and the government further crippled this week.

The province took the union to Alberta’s labour board Monday, saying the union made false claims after setting a strike date of October 6th.

The union says while it considers the legal action frivolous, the complaint has the potential to derail negotiations.

(The Canadian Press)