PORT HOOD: The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s (DEECD) decision to close schools temporarily due to safety issues doesn’t sit well with Inverness Municipal Council.
Council met on December 5, and newly-minted district 5 councillor John MacLellan brought up the matter during petitions and resolutions. He was referencing the December 3 announcement of Education Minister Karen Casey to indefinitely close schools as a result of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union work-to-rule action.
As it happened, while MacLellan was voicing his displeasure, Casey was holding a second press conference, this one to announce that schools would reopen on December 6.
MacLellan said he was approached by teachers, other school workers, and parents who showed him a letter from the Department of Education that announced the closure.
“I think it was very ignorant on Karen Casey’s part,” MacLellan said.
At the council meeting, MacLellan said he didn’t think much of Casey’s argument.
“That was a slap in the face to teachers in our community,” said MacLellan.
Warden Betty Ann MacQuarrie asked council for opinions on the matter. As she understood things, teachers would be arriving 20 minutes before class began and leaving 20 minutes after class let out. She said that, to her understanding, Casey was concerned about supervision of the kids, especially those arriving early and staying late.
Councillor Jim Mustard said that, under their contract, teachers are only required to stay for a limited amount of time anyway, so he questioned Casey’s logic.
“We don’t leave kids stranded,” he said.
“That’s not what work-to-rule is, and it’s not the practice in our communities. Our communities wouldn’t have left anyone stranded.”
Councillor Laurie Cranton said he recently attended the provincial volleyball championship at Cape Breton Highlands Academy. He spoke to the principal there, and the principal said he went to each classroom to explain the work-to-rule process.
“He had gone over this with all his teachers,” Cranton said. “This is all they worked on for two days prior, and I was very impressed. Even parents had the proper clearance to come in for supervision. They had a really good plan.”
Warden MacQuarrie said it seemed to her that the teacher’s supervision, before and after the time they are paid to be there, is all voluntary.
“They’re doing more than they’re getting paid for,” she said.
Council decided to write a letter to Casey letting the minister know council disagrees with the suspension of classes. The letter will also state that council believes the students would have adequately been looked after.