When students return to school Tuesday, conditions will be the same as they left it two weeks ago.

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union and the provincial government are still at odds with no agreement in place, meaning more than 9,000 teachers will be back to the same work-to-rule order.

The two sides have not met since Dec. 17. The meeting was with a conciliator appointed by provincial Labour Minister Kelly Regan.

Since the first week of December, under work-to-rule, teachers have been showing up 20 minutes before classes start and leaving school 20 minutes after students are dismissed.

With no one to coach or chaperone, school sports programs have been shut down. Dozens of hockey and basketball tournaments have already been postponed and many others are in jeopardy of being cancelled.

That includes the Coal Bowl Classic basketball tournament in New Waterford.

"We are going to wait as long as we can," said Lowell Cormier, one of the event's founding members. "We've sort of set a date of Jan. 15."

The Coal Bowl is one of the most anticipated dates on the Cape Breton sports calendar. This year's event, scheduled to start Feb. 5, would be the 36th edition. Teams from British Columbia, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island are all expected to attend.

But Cormier said it isn't looking good, unless a quick resolution in the dispute is reached. The fact the two sides haven't met since Dec. 17 has Cormier upset.

"To go back to the table for only one or two days after posturing on both sides and now to take this long break, they've had plenty of time to be at the table," said Cormier. "They didn't have to take two weeks."

Cormier said many businesses in New Waterford prosper during the tournament, which he said is like a winter carnival for the community.

Nova Scotia Teachers Union president Liette Doucet was unavailable for comment.