It was back-to-school day for Quebec students a month ago, and at least 118 full-time teachers are yet to be found to fill positions in schools across the province. A situation “never seen”, insists a teachers’ union.
This is indicated by the latest data dated September 28 collected by the Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ) and obtained by The duty. However, this is a partial assessment, since the figures for 13 school service centers are not available.
It is the Cree School Board in Nord-du-Québec that is the most affected, with 35 teachers who are wanted. Next comes the Montreal School Service Center with 24 positions to fill, followed by the Marie-Victorin School Service Center in Montérégie, with 11 teachers still missing.
“It’s incomparable when you compare it to previous years,” says Josée Scalabrini, president of the Federation of Teachers’ Unions (FSE-CSQ). At the height of what we are currently experiencing, we have never seen that. That’s why we have to sit down quickly and look for solutions, everyone together”.
She adds that the department’s balance sheet does not take into account the number of part-time contracts that are missing, and that there are still needs in this regard in the schools. Estimating the situation “worrying” and “worrying”, she awaits with apprehension the month of October, during which disability leave could occur.
“This shortage leads to an overload of work for everyone,” she says. This overload could lead to more people going on disability leave. And more worryingly, there are legally qualified teachers who are quitting their jobs right now.”
The needs are particularly acute in Nord-du-Québec. A situation that the union explains by the fact that the conditions are more difficult in this region and that not all the teachers wish to go there. “When we had long waiting lists in the past, people preferred to do their probation outside rather than wait,” says Josée Scalabrini. Now, as there is enough work for everyone in the south, people place themselves there first”.