School breakfast programs struggle or shut down under work-to-rule

The Nova Scotia Teacher's Union work-to-rule order has forced some school breakfast programs to shut down and left others struggling to remain open.

'People don't want to wait in line for their food and they just won't eat'

Paul Palmeter CBC News Posted: Dec 08, 2016 12:18 PM EST | Last Updated: December 8, 2016

Dartmouth High School students head to class on Thursday morning. (Nic Meloney/CBC)

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union's work-to-rule order has forced some school breakfast programs to shut down and left others struggling to remain open.

"It's definitely taken a weird turn because now we aren't getting here before other students," said Claire Graham, a Grade 12 student who helps run the breakfast program at Dartmouth High School.

Normally Graham and other student volunteers would be allowed to enter the school early to prepare breakfast.But since work-to-rule started this week, doors are only opened when teachers arrive 20 minutes before class.

"It's a little more difficult because people don't want to wait in line for their food and they just won't eat and that's exactly the opposite of what we want," said Graham.

Students at Dartmouth High School are struggling to put on a breakfast program under work-to-rule. (Nic Meloney/CBC)

As of Octoberthere were101 schools in Halifax with breakfast programs. Students who use the programs may not have much to eat at home, are on long bus rides to class or head to school early for extracurricular activities.

Work-to-rule means teachers are only arriving at school 20 minutes before the first class and leaving 20 minutes after the last bell of the day.

No concerts, no meetings: what work-to-rule means for students and teachers

Jamming the breakfast program into the 20-minute windowis proving to be a tough job.

"You get here at 8:10 and there's a lineup at the doors," said Claire Bragg, another Grade 12 student who helps pull the breakfast program together.

"But they don't open it until the teachers show up and then you have to set up as quick as you can. Of course there's a big rush and you have to get the food out there and then there's the cleanup."

Breakfast programs have also been shelved for the time being at other schools, such asEllenvaleJunior High in Dartmouth.

Impact of work-to-rule

It's a tough decision to make but it's just one of the many ways work-to-rule is impactingstudents in Nova Scotia schools.

"A lot of students would go get extra help a lot and we can't do that any more," said Jackie Bone, a Grade 11 student at Dartmouth High School. "It's kind of stressful when you are in class and you can't really grasp something and you can't go to extra help, so you can understand it more."

Bone isn't the only student feeling the stress at her school.

"Today I have a math test and I'm not able to go in for extra help to figure out exactly what I have to do," said Seth Misener, a Grade 9 student. "It's kind of a pain to try and catch up and get on top of things."

All public schools in Nova Scotia were closed on Monday by the provincial government but reopened Tuesday.

It was anticipated the Liberal government would impose a contract on the teachers by introducing legislation on Monday, but Education Minister Karen Casey decided not to go ahead with the proposed law.

Only path forward in dispute with teachers is for Karen Casey to resign: Graham Steele

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School breakfast programs struggle or shut down under work-to-rule

'People don't want to wait in line for their food and they just won't eat'

Impact of work-to-rule

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