For some time now, the headlines have been reporting the shortage of labor in the world of education. Mainly from the shortage of teachers. Schools lived last year with several people not legally qualified (NLQ) who came to lend a hand in schools across Quebec. For better and for worse.
I am not trying here to review this first real year of shortage. My question is elsewhere. It could even be a Christmas story, depending on the angle from which you take it. Or a small-scale tragedy. Let me tell you.
December 2022. This Friday morning, the staff room is relatively quiet. I arrive shortly after the start of the first period. I have the 2e3e and 4e period today. I am a teacher in a secondary school. It smells good when entering the room. Karine decided to buy pastries for the colleagues. The atmosphere is zen. Some are correcting, others are gently discussing the first holiday vacation plans for a while. Everyone is looking forward to the holidays, but the last week always has that “je ne sais quoi” that makes it irresistible. It smells of fatigue mixed with gingerbread cookies.
Anna arrives. She was our educator in 4e high school, but she chose to lend a hand in this time of teacher shortage. She took on the school adaptation group in the middle of the year and raised the bar as we could not have hoped for better as a school team.
We are lucky to have Anne. Really. We miss her as an educator, but she saved this class as a teacher.
In a discussion between two classes, I ask her if she would like that, to continue teaching.
She confirms to me that she loves the experience and that she wants to continue, but, unfortunately, she does not have the qualifications.
She would like to do the qualifying master’s or baccalaureate, but she does not meet the requirements. Distractedly, I ask her what she has as studies. I expect technical and two or three university courses. The chocolatine almost fell out of my mouth. Here is: a cumulative bachelor’s degree (mental health, social intervention and drug addiction), a near bachelor’s degree in teaching French as a second language done elsewhere in Canada, a short program in post-secondary teaching… and 15 years of expertise as a secondary school educator. And the laconic response from the universities? No.
There it is, my questioning.
In this time of scarcity, it would be nice to recognize a pearl when you see one.
To allow him to access the patent when his atypical career is revealing like that of Anne. Not perfect. But enough for her to qualify for a qualifying master’s or bachelor’s degree to lend us a hand for the next 15 to 20 years. She does not ask to be given the patent. Anne wants to do whatever it takes to get it. Being admitted is everything. The rest she will do like everyone else. Anne is a safe bet that we cannot afford to escape. Like many others probably in the schools of the province.
For the record, Anne holds a group of ASD (autism spectrum disorder) This year. Everyone wins: her students, the school team… except perhaps Anne in the background. So close to the tale while we are gently witnessing a small tragedy.