A coalition of researchers, unions and early childhood executives signed an open letter on Thursday in the hope of raising awareness of the Legault government on the impacts of maintaining a 50% ratio of qualified educators in childcare services until 2027.
“We have the impression that this measure will make things worse, and not the other way around,” summarizes Nathalie Bigras, full professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal, in an interview. and scientific director of the Quality of Early Childhood Educational Contexts research team.
Last week, The Duty rrevealed that Quebec has decided to maintain a ratio of 50% of qualified educators in childcare services until 2027. This ratio was to be increased to its pre-pandemic level — two qualified educators out of three — in March 2024.
In the process, a coalition was formed so that the government could think about solutions that could “really contribute to stemming the shortage and the hemorrhage of educators” in early childhood, it is written in the letter. “We therefore invite the government of Quebec and in particular the Prime Minister as well as the Minister of Families to take a step back in order to reflect on all the systemic issues involved in this shortage of labor in early childhood,” continue the authors.
In short, “can we collectively recognize that the work of educators is worth more than what we currently give them? », asks Mme Bigras. Among the solutions, “better working conditions would be essential to promote the attractiveness as well as the retention of well-trained educational personnel capable of offering quality educational services,” underline the signatories of the letter.
Professor Bigras insists on the importance of raising salaries. “Yes, there has been some catching up, but it is not sufficient in our opinion,” she said. As of March 31, 2023, a qualified educator earned a maximum of $30.03 per hour.
Real wealth
In a context of labor shortage, given the competition on the job market and the lack of recognition of the profession, the profession of early childhood educator has lost its appeal, notes the researcher. “We don’t have the impression that the government fully recognizes the real wealth that these people have. […] And that worries us a lot, because they don’t feel recognized either. Otherwise, they would stay,” says Mme Bigras.
The government’s decision on the ratios highlights, according to the signatories, the importance of bringing together the forces present to “find solutions that will be more effective”. ” We understand [qu’en maintenant les ratios de 50 % d’éducatrices qualifiées], the government does not want to put pressure on CPEs who are struggling to find qualified staff. But we think that the educators who are already there will continue to leave when they hear this news,” laments M.me Bigras. She therefore fears “a deterioration in the supply of quality services. »
Like others, she emphasizes that the arrival of unqualified educators risks increasing the task of existing educators. “It is in fact quite easy to imagine that the most experienced educators, those who have more than 12 to 15 years of experience, will be called upon even more to support the new unqualified educators who will enter [en poste] in the coming months and years,” the open letter read.