Province releases plan to recruit and retain more French teachers

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This article was published 06/10/2020 (1816 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Ontario government is trying to address a shortage of French teachers across the province.

A Ministry of Education news release said the province is taking part in various initiatives, including career fairs and professional development working groups, to address the problem.

“Our government is committed to protecting and promoting French language,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in the release issued last week.

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, parliamentary assistant to the minister, spoke to the importance of the French language in schools.

“We are very proud of our thriving French-language education systems and FSL programs in Ontario,” he said.

“The French language is one of our country’s official languages and an essential part of our country’s identity. We look forward to continued work with our valued stakeholders to make sure that all students in Ontario have access to quality education in French.”

The province’s plan includes partnering with Laurentian University to create a model to entice students and give them more options on how to complete their education, through online modules and concurrent education courses.

The province is also supporting career fairs and partnering with two working groups to focus on professional development for French teachers and raise awareness of employment opportunities.

“The rising enrolment and increased popularity of our French-language and French as a second language programs, coupled with a long-standing national shortage of educators, underscores the need for action which is why we are ensuring schools have access to more qualified French-language educators,” said Lecce.

The 2020-21 academic year has more than 111,000 students enrolled in French-language schools. Also, there are more than one million students enrolled in a French as a second language program in the English-language school system, including 250,000 students enrolled in the French immersion program.

The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association is pleased with the government’s announcement.

“We look forward to continuing our collaborative work with the government in this area,” said president Cathy Abraham.

Said Mélanie Joly, minister of official languages, “Education is an essential pillar of the vitality of official languages and communities.

“Bilingualism is at the heart of Canadian identity and culture, and a major asset in the labour market. This type of investment supports francophone minority communities in addition to supporting the learning of French in immersion programs.”

Sean Vanderklis is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter for the Niagara Falls Review, covering education issues across Niagara. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.