All Nova Scotia public schools to re-open Tuesday
Posted Dec 5, 2016 02:46:19 PM.
Last Updated Dec 5, 2016 02:53:59 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Education Minister Karen Casey has announced public schools in Nova Scotia will re-open Tuesday after safety concerns during a teachers’ work-to-rule campaign were addressed by school administrators.
She said the government is satisfied students are safe and Bill 78, which would have made any job action illegal, will not be tabled Monday.
She couldn’t say it will not be tabled in the future and hopes the union and the province can return to the table.
Over the weekend, the government announced it was closing all schools in the province in a response to a planned teachers’ job action to begin Monday, which they said put student safety in jeopardy.
Right before a scheduled bill briefing for back-to-school legislation Monday morning, Liberal House Leader Michel Samson announced the tabling would be delayed because of last-ditch talks to address safety concerns.
He could not say who those discussions were with and Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union President Liette Doucet said the executive had no formalized talks with the government and nothing had changed since Saturday.
Teachers were also required to report for work during the scheduled school closures.
During a potential teachers job action to start Monday, union members are being directed to do the minimum work required under their contract, including cancelling extra-curricular activities and arriving at school 20 minutes before classes begin and leave 20 minutes after they end.
More to come…
