Nova Scotia parents say children being used as ‘pawns’ in political chess match

Parents throughout Nova Scotia are scrambling to find childcare after receiving less than 48 hours notice that schools will be closed to students on Monday.

“The majority of people can’t afford to pay extra childcare in order for them to be able to work. It’s a real challenge for many families and it’s just wrong to put us all in this position with no time to sort it out,” said Deborah McNamara, a mother of three.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The majority of people can't afford to pay extra childcare in order for them to be able to work. It's a real challenge for many families and it's just wrong to put us all in this position with no time to sort it out," said Deborah McNamara, a mother of three.

McNamara counts herself as lucky — she runs her own business and has flexible hours.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia government closes all public schools as of Monday

She usually works around her children’s school schedule, but that’s no longer an option due to the province’s decision to close schools to students.

“I’m not going to enjoy having to work until midnight but if that’s what I have to do, I’ll do it,” McNamara said.

She’s one of hundreds of parents across Nova Scotia caught up in the aftermath of an announcement made by Education Minister Karen Casey.

WATCH: Nova Scotia government closes all public schools as of Monday. Ross Lord reports.

2:22 Nova Scotia government closes all public schools as of Monday

The province called a press conference on Saturday, Dec. 3, to respond to work-to-rule job action being taken by the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.

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“We recognize that this will be an inconvenience in the short term,” Casey said when asked what her message to parents was. “But we believe that the responsibility to ensure that their students are safe is a priority, and we will err on the side of that.”

Many parents argue they believe their children would have been safe in schools despite work-to-rule being taken.

“Work-to-rule is something that’s happened in many other provinces and there’s never been a safety issue because of it.” said Kate Ervine, a mother of two living in Halifax.

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Concerned members of the African Nova-Scotian community held a discussion group Sunday, brainstorming ideas to help those in their community who can’t afford childcare.

“We know that black people across this province have higher unemployment rates. The median income is lower for African Nova-Scotians than the median income for Nova Scotians as a whole,” said Tina Roberts-Jeffers, a mother of three children.

“When this announcement was made I thought immediately of the disproportionate impact that it’s going to have on black families and families with less resources than others.”

READ MORE: Nova Scotia to impose contract on teachers

The government has recalled the legislature in order to impose a contract on the teachers.

Schools won’t reopen to students until the contract is proclaimed.

The government says a new contract would take away the teachers ability to legally strike or use work-to-rule.

It’s a political battle that’s put a bitter taste in the mouths of many parents.

“They’ve lost the public’s trust, they need to be honest about what’s going on and not use our children as a pawn in this broader game that they’re playing,” Ervine said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They've lost the public's trust, they need to be honest about what's going on and not use our children as a pawn in this broader game that they're playing," Ervine said.