Thousands of parents across the province will be looking for alternative childcare this week.
Minister of Education Karen Casey has announced all schools will be closed starting Monday.
The announcement is a reaction to the Nova Scotia Teacher’s union’s decision to move to a work-to-rule schedule.
“Teachers play such an important role, that we cannot keep the schools open safely without teachers keeping to that commitment.”
Casey says the work-to-rule action will not allow time for special needs students to assisted when they arrive and will also leave students unsupervised during large portions of the day.
She says teachers and staff are not being “locked out” and are expected to show up for work as usual.
The province is working on legislation that will impose the contract that was part of a tentative agreement between the union and government in early September.
That contract was rejected by teachers.
Casey says once that’s in place students will be able to return to class.