'Crisis' in francophone school district as schools set to open amid teacher vacancies

With classes starting next week, the Newfoundland and Labrador French school district is scrambling to fill vacant positions.

"This is a crisis that has never occurred [previously]," said Kim Christianson, director of education with the Conseil scolaire francophone provincial deTerre-Neuve-et-Labrador.

"We've had challenges at times to recruit teachers, but at this time, a week before the beginning of the school year, we're still looking for teachers as we have five vacant positions throughout our six schools within the province."

The challenge, unfortunately, is nationwide.- Kim Christianson

cole-Notre-Dame-du-Capin Cape St. George is missing a principal. Two teacher positions are vacant atcole-Sainte-Annein Mainland, on the Port au Port Peninsula. There's an unfilled teaching position atcoleBoralin Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and at the board level, the district needs a math specialist.

'Never been this bad'

"The challenge, unfortunately, is nationwide. I have 28 colleagues across the nation that are having the same situation, the same issues are occurring. It's never been this bad," shesaid.

There are several factors affecting recruitment, Christianson said, including changes a few years ago in Ontario when education requirements for French-language teachers went from four years to two, causing one year where there were no graduates.

The number of days that retired teachers can work without affecting their pensions has also been dramatically reduced in some provinces, she said.

Union aware of problem

Dean Ingram, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association, is aware of the problem.

"There's some concerns that as of next week when schools resume, there will be some unfilled positions. That's obviously of concern to ourselves as a professional association but certainly I think it should be equally of concern to the parents of those students that are going back to school next week."

Ingram saysthe union will be meeting with the school board in the coming days for updates, to find out what the district's plan is,and to offer any assistance that they can.

It has not become a fancy profession, because it's difficult.- Kim Christianson

"There has to be an effort on the district to actually engage in recruitment efforts," Ingram said.

"These are parts of discussion in terms of what has the district done to date, whenthey began their recruitment procedures these are things I wouldn't really be privy to the exact information, but I think it's certainly helpful to us to engage in that discussion."

On the English side, he said, all classroom positions will be filled when school starts.

Christiansonsays they're working hard through the district and with the NLTA to attract teachers to the province, and said the recruitment process starts right at the post-secondary level.

"Another problem is to attract the new grads to the faculties of education," she said.

"It has not become a fancy profession, because it's difficult. It's just the perception of teaching multi-level classes [in] rural communities. So I think we need to change that and to work with our governments and our certification boards to try to change and make the profession very positive."

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