Despite being back in school for less than a day, hundreds of Calgary students walked out of class Thursday at 11 a.m. to protest the Alberta government's handling of the teachers' strike. The coordinated walkout was organized largely through Instagram accounts like ab.students.for.teachers, which instructed students to leave class respectfully and protest peacefully. Students from Centennial, Western Canada, St. Mary's and other high schools joined peers at City Hall, carrying signs and calling for better support for education.

Hunter Hedeman, a student at Centennial High School, told Livewire Calgary the walkout proved students are just as frustrated with the government's approach as teachers are. Grade 12 student Halle Urquhart from James Fowler High School said the provincial government "can't just cherry-pick what our charter of rights and freedoms is." Another student, Julianna Marques, pointed out that teachers volunteer countless hours outside the classroom and deserve recognition, not to have their voices silenced.

The Alberta government cancelled all January 2026 diploma exams and Grade 9 Provincial Achievement Tests to allow students and teachers to concentrate on learning after lost instructional time due to the strike. The cancellation won't affect students' ability to apply to or attend post-secondary institutions. Students who choose not to write at a later date will receive their school-awarded mark as their final course mark, with a notation added to transcripts confirming no diploma exam was written.

For some students, returning to school Wednesday felt off. The atmosphere was described as uncomfortable, with teachers appearing worn down and students uncertain about what to expect. Diya Kunisetty, a Grade 11 student at Henry Wise Wood, created an Instagram account to give students an anonymous outlet for their feelings about the strike—it's already received over 90,000 views and submissions from students aged 6 to 18 across Alberta, according to Livewire Calgary.