Who would have thought that, in the lot of anxieties linked to the start of the school year, one day the fear that his child would not have a teacher for the first day of class would dominate? Here we are. Of all the labor shortages raging in crucial sectors of the Quebec economy, the one affecting the education sector was undoubtedly one of the easiest to predict, since we have been hearing about it for two decades. Nothing worked: the Ministry of Education is now working urgently to fill at least 700 positions still vacant, a few days before the start of the school year.
In the early 2000s, a simple socio-demographic calculation was enough to see the emergence of a staff recruitment issue in preschool, primary and secondary. First, retirements caused by the aging of the population; secondly, an increase in school enrollment caused by a demographic boom and migratory inflows. A little later, two aggravating factors came to complicate the problem: a major issue of non-retention, approximately 20% of new teachers leaving the profession in the years following their entry into service, and a clearly insufficient attraction of teacher training programs. masters, yet offered throughout Quebec. The disaster… foretold.
The need for teachers has also increased because of the new realities of education: the advent of kindergarten at 4 years old; new ratios in classes; a continuous increase in the number of students in difficulty. In short, the education system is under multiple pressures that accentuate the recruitment problem. This societal crisis is serious, because it affects schools and the quality of education for all students in Quebec. On the eve of a third “pandemic” school year, the issue of wearing a mask in class has become very secondary, and we are rather busy counting the actors missing from school, from the bus driver to the teacher, through professionals.
This shortage has become so glaring that, over the past few years, we have multiplied the flexibility measures allowing a larger pool of people to obtain a teaching licence. The “commitment tolerances”, whose name should mark the exceptional and temporary nature, have exploded. Untrained teachers, however passionate and committed they may be, are neophytes whose needs for supervision, continuous training and evaluation are immense. Unfortunately, since this essential triad has never been the Ministry of Education’s strike force, we doubt that it will develop its expertise in times of crisis. Yet he should.
There is no miracle solution, but the government has a grip on what happens next in order to avoid at least making the situation worse. First, he must urgently and courageously paint an accurate picture of the situation, which, as the Superior Council of Education deplores in a number of recent opinions on teaching licenses, does not exist. at present. Who are the newly hired teachers and where do they work? How long do they stay? What is missing in their training? Then, in order to promote long-term job retention, put in place a solid support and training program, using, for example, the use of mentors or with the assistance of faculties of education. If the operation has to be repeated every year because of a retention problem, we will not be any further ahead. Class allocation rules, which defy common sense due to hermetic collective agreements, would benefit from being relaxed.
This shortage is special because it could have a significant impact on student success. Quality education is one of the most important criteria in a child’s career, and it is often what will determine whether or not he will continue his school career. Let us give this shortage the importance it deserves, as well as the means necessary to absorb it.