Five Nova Scotia universities are suing the Nova Scotia Teachers Union over work-to-rule job action.
Universite Sainte-Anne in Church Point, along with Acadia, St. Francis Xavier, Cape Breton and Mount Saint Vincent universities say the fact that student teachers aren’t being accepted into classrooms violates section 31 of the Education Act.
The release from the Association of Atlantic Universities says the section requires teachers to admit student teachers to school classrooms, and, supervise and evaluate their required Teacher Practicum.
Dr. Kent MacDonald, President and Vice-Chancellor of St. Francis Xavier University says hundreds of students may not be able to complete their diplomas.
“We’ve requested telephone conversations or face-to-face meetings with the NSTU and have not been given that opportunity. We have reached this point because of the irreparable damage that this is going to cause the 600 or so Bachelor of Education students in this province trying complete their degrees on time.”
16 students are directly affected in Bachelor of Education program at U Sainte-Anne.
MacDonald says they have asked the court for an early hearing date and are hopeful that an emergency injunction will be granted so that education students may begin their Teacher Practicum without further delay.