Astronomer, science communicator and professor of science education at UQAM, the author is also director of the undergraduate programs unit in preschool and elementary education.
On January 26, Quebec’s Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, announced his seven priorities for the education and success of our young people. Among the proposals submitted, one promised to “restore a fast track to the teaching certificate” for people holding a baccalaureate in a discipline covered by the training programs (French, mathematics, history, etc.). Through a recognition procedure based on best practices in the field and a more flexible training program than the current qualifying master’s degree of 60 credits, we promise to alleviate the shortage of people qualified teachers in the Quebec education network.
No one is against virtue, and such a proposal is similar to what already exists for secondary education where, in an ideal world, teachers only teach in their area of specialization. Thus, a person with a bachelor’s degree in physics can, after taking courses in pedagogy and didactics of science and technology, teach science in secondary school. That said, he will still need additional disciplinary training in biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, etc. It’s hard to see, under the circumstances, how to get there in less than 60 credits…
But such a fast track to the certificate absolutely does not hold water in preschool and primary education, where teachers must master all the subjects to be taught. What are these areas of training that society considers important that they be taught to students, from an early age?
In Quebec, learning spoken and written French and mathematics is the foundation on which all other knowledge can be built. Then come, in disorder, physical education and health, learning a second language (English, in this case), the arts, Ethics and religious culture (which should soon be replaced by Culture and Quebec citizenship), geography, history and citizenship education, and science and technology.
So there are so many subjects to be taught in primary school, each of which requires not only mastery of basic content, but also mastery of pedagogical and didactic strategies to promote student learning. And that’s without counting the necessary pedagogical differentiation which makes it possible to adapt to the specific needs of the students, remedial education for students in difficulty, collaboration with the school team and parents…
The task of teaching preschool and primary school is complex and requires the mastery of professional skills and high-level knowledge.
Thus in elementary school, where it is considered essential for the well-being of students that there is only one teacher responsible for their learning, this person is asked to be trained — and well trained — in all subjects to be taught. And let it not be thought that, because it concerns pre-school and primary education, teachers only need a superficial knowledge of content and pedagogical approaches to teach well. It is in elementary school that we lay the foundations that will make students learners for life, and this work requires teachers to have a very high level of mastery of each of the subjects to be taught.
This is why the compromise solutions that were announced by the Minister of Education last January do not hold water when it comes to preschool and elementary education. A valid solution for the secondary cannot be stupidly transposed to the primary. A person with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics is simply not qualified to teach all the other subjects covered by the Québec education program in preschool and elementary school.
It is not by reducing training requirements in this way to respond to a short-term shortage problem that we will improve the lot of students in Quebec elementary schools!