A Nova Scotia mother says the work-to-rule job action by teachers is making her son so anxious that he doesn’t want to go to school.
Tina Clarke says her son, Aidan, has been having trouble keeping up this year. His school used to offer extra help Wednesday afternoons, but that ended in early December when work-to-rule began.
“It's hard on all of us,” Tina Clarke said. “Me and his dad work all nights, you know? And he brings home work sometimes that we've never done so it's kind of hard for us to help him.”
The Grade 8 student says the lack of extra help is making things worse.
“It makes me angry, really, because I've never had that struggle all through school of worrying about falling behind until this year,” Aidan said.
Aidan has an anxiety disorder and his mom says the added stress of work-to-rule means he sometimes doesn't want to go to school at all.
“He has meltdowns. He just gets so frustrated,” said Tina Clarke.
Aidan says his teachers seem to be feeling the stress of the new classroom reality, too.
“The change that I've seen like within the teachers and stuff, like it's crazy,” he said.
Since teachers began the work-to-rule campaign six weeks ago, all extra-curricular activities are on hold. Teachers have been arriving at school 20 minutes before and leaving 20 minutes after, and they're not communicating with students or parents outside the instructional day.
Despite the frustration many are feeling due to the job action, a large number of people showed up Monday nightfor a rally outside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's town hall meeting in Dartmouth, showing support for the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.
Tina Clarke says it's time both sides find a way to come up with a deal.
“Our children have suffered enough now,” said Clarke.
The Nova Scotia Teachers Union and provincial government returned to the negotiating table with a conciliator again on Tuesday under a media blackout.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Sarah Ritchie.
