Djeneba Dosso
LJI Reporter
Parents, children and school staff across Quebec are preparing for what may be a stressful school year as Bernard Drainville, Minister of Education, announces that 5,704 teachers are still needed, a week before the start of classes. Friday morning’s assessment revealed that 1,406 full-time and 4,298 part-time teaching positions still needed to be filled for the 2024-25 school year. A worrisome figure that still marks a small victory for the education sector seeing as the ongoing shortage of teachers and personnel has dropped 33 per cent compared to this time last year.
The need for nearly 3,700 teachers across the Quebec public school network can be linked to the projected 20,000 new students starting classes this year. An 80 per cent increase in school enrollment related to immigration, according to the Ministry.
The government’s response to the penury manifested in reviewed collective agreements for teaching staff. The most important change requires all teaching positions, which could previously be assigned up to a few days before the start of classes, to be allocated by August 8. No assignment changes will be possible past this date. The 20-day window will allow students and parents to familiarize themselves with teachers who will now have ample time to prepare for their first day.
“The changes made for this new school year are part of the recovery operation that has been carried out since our arrival. It requires everyone to review their ways of doing things, and I am aware of it. That said, I am convinced that these changes will help improve the situation in the coming years,” says Drainville.
Additionally, major increases have been brought to teachers’ salaries, which will now start at $65,352 as an incentive to fill a maximum of positions. Class support resources and financial incentives for retired teachers are also part of the new collective agreements. In signing, educators agree to a handful of changes to ensure a “smooth and stable school year.”
“The objective is to have a more stable and above all more humane back to school for children, parents and all our staff. The portrait we have today shows that there are always challenges. However, there are still a few weeks left before the next school year and I am convinced that by working together, we will be able to find the necessary solutions. The priority that must guide us all is the success of our children. I would also like to thank all the people involved in this new process, including the school principals. Their contribution is essential.”